NRLF 


B   M   3bfl   73=1 


TRADITIONS  OF  THE  CADDO 


COLLECTED  UNDER  THE  AUSPICES  OF  THE 
CARNEGIE  INSTITUTION  OF  WASHINGTON 


BY 
GEORGE   A.   DORSEY 

CURATOR  OF  ANTHROPOLOGY,  FIELD  COLUMBIAN   MUSEUM 


WASHINGTON,  D.  C.: 

Published  by  the  Carnegie  Institution  of  Washington 
1905 


CARNEGIE  INSTITUTION  OF  WASHINGTON 

PUBLICATION  No.  41 


WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

PRESS  OF  JUDD  &  DETWEILER  (INC.) 

1905 


CONTENTS. 

Page 

Introduction 5 

1.  The  Creation  and  Early  Migrations 7 

2.  The  Origin  of  Day  and  Night 13 

3.  The  Origin  of  Animals 14 

4.  Coyote  regulates  Life  after  Death 14 

5.  Coyote  and  the  Origin  of  Death 15 

6.  The  Second  Man  who  came  out  of  the  Earth 17 

7.  Snake- Woman  distributes  Seeds 18 

8.  The  Flood 18 

9.  The  Effeminate  Man  who  introduced  Strife 19 

10.  The  Origin  of  the  Medicine-Men 20 

n.  The  Girl  who  married  a  Turtle 23 

12.  The  Man  and  the  Dog  who  became  Stars 25 

13.  Evening-Star  and  Orphan-Star 26 

14.  The  Girl  who  married  a  Star 27 

15.  The  Girl  who  married  a  Star 29 

16.  Lightning  and  the  People 30 

17.  The  Brothers  who  became  Lightning  and  Thunder 31 

18.  Splinter  Foot  Boy 36 

19.  Medicine-Screech- Owl 39 

20.  Medicine-Screech-Owl 43 

21.  The  Orphan  Boy  who  became  a  Wrestler 45 

22.  The  Dangerous  Water  Monster 46 

23.  Slaying  the  Monsters  by  Fire 47 

24.  Slaying  the  Monsters  by  Fire 48 

25.  How  the  Buffalo  ceased  to  eat  Human  Beings 50 

26.  The  Girl  who  had  power  to  call  the  Buffalo 51 

27.  The  Old  Woman  who  kept  all  the  Pecans 52 

28.  The  Coward,  the  Son  of  the  Moon 53 

29.  The  First  War  Party 54 

30.  The  Power  of  the  Cyclone 56 

31 .  How  the  Cannibal  was  destroyed 57 

32.  The  Young  Men  and  the  Cannibals 58 

33.  Coyote  and  the  Six  Brothers 59 

34.  The  Death  of  the  Cannibals 61 

35.  The  Man  who  made  Arrows  for  Ghost 63 

36.  The  Lazy  Boys  who  became  the  Pleiades 64 

37.  The  Lost  Timber  Spirits 64 

38.  The  Man  who  turned  into  a  Snake 65 

39.  The  Woman  who  turned  into  a  Snake 66 

40.  How  Owl  fooled  the  Girls  who  wanted  to  marry  the  Chief 67 

41.  The  Poor  Hunter  and  the  Alligator  Power 69 

42.  The  Boy  who  married  a  Mountain-Lion 71 

43.  Buffalo  Woman ,  73 

3 


4  CONTENTS. 

Page 

44.  The  Girl  who  married  Wild-Cat 76 

45.  The  Woman  who  tried  to  kill  her  Son 77 

46.  The  Jealous  Husband 79 

47.  The  Turtle  who  carried  the  People  away 81 

48.  Why  Dogs  have  Long  Tongues 82 

49.  Why  Hawks  have  Thin  Legs 83 

50.  The  Power  of  Buffalo  and  Bear 84 

51.  How  Rabbit  stole  Mountain-Lion's  Teeth 85 

52.  Rabbit  and  the  Dancing  Turkeys 86 

53.  Adventures  of  Coyote 86 

54.  Coyote  escapes  an  Imaginary  Foe 89 

55.  Coyote  goes  Fishing 91 

56.  Coyote  hunts  Geese 92 

57.  Coyote  imitates  his  Host 93 

58.  Coyote  imitates  his  Host 94 

59.  Coyote,  the  Deer,  and  the  Wind 95 

60.  Coyote  dives  for  Meat 97 

61.  Coyote,  the  Geese,  and  the  Woodpeckers ....  97 

62.  Coyote  and  Rabbit  kill  a  Buffalo 99 

63.  Coyote,  Mountain-Lion,  and  Rabbit 100 

64.  Coyote  becomes  a  Buffalo 101 

65.  Coyote  and  the  Turkeys 102 

66.  Coyote's  Eyes  are  replaced  by  Buckeyes 103 

67.  Coyote  and  Turtle  run  a  Race , 104 

68.  Coyote,  Wild-Cat,  and  the  Old  Woman  105 

69.  Coyote  challenges  the  Snake 106 

70.  Coyote  turns  into  a  Corn  Mill 108 

Abstracts 109-136 


INTRODUCTION. 

^PHE  Caddo  tales  here  presented  were  collected  during  the  years 
*  1903-1905,  under  the  auspices' of  the  Carnegie  Institution  of 
Washington,  and  form  part  of  a  systematic  investigation  of  the  relig- 
ious system  and  ceremonial  organization  of  the  tribes  of  the  Caddoan 
stock. 

The  Caddo,  numbering  530  in  1903,  are  of  Caddoan  stock,  and  since 
1859  have  lived  in  western  Oklahoma  between  the  Washita  and  Cana- 
dian rivers,  where  they  have  been  closely  associated  with  the  Wichita. 
They  retain  practically  nothing  of  their  ancient  culture.  Their  early 
home  was  in  Louisiana,  on  the  lower  Red  River.  Later  they  migrated 
toward  the  Texas  border,  and  still  later  to  Brazos  River  in  Texas.  They 
met  the  whites  as  early  as  1540,  and  throughout  their  history  have 
maintained  a  friendly  attitude  toward  the  whites.  Like  the  Wichita, 
their  early  habitations  were  conical  grass  lodges,  and  they  were  agri- 
culturists, hunting  the  buffalo  only  within  comparatively  recent  times. 
The  comparison  of  the  Caddo  tales  with  those  of  other  tribes  is  de- 
ferred until  the  completion  of  the  present  investigation. 

GEORGE  A.  DORSE Y. 

Chicago,  July  j/,  1905. 

5 


TRADITIONS  OF  THE  CADDO. 


1.  THE  CREATION  AND  EARLY  MIGRATIONS* 

In  the  beginning  the  sun,  stars,  moon,  and  earth  did  not  exist  as 
they  are  now.  Darkness  ruled.  With  the  lapse  of  time  came  a  man, 
the  only  living  being.  Soon  after  his  arrival  a  village  sprang  into 
existence  with  many  thousands  of  people,  and  the  people  noticed  that 
the  man  seemed  to  be  everywhere.  For  a  time  he  disappeared,  and 
when  he  came  back  he  had  all  kinds  of  seeds.  He  called  all  the  people 
together  and  told  them  that  the  seeds  were  for  them  to  eat,  and  gave 
them  to  every  one.  He  told  them  that  soon  Darkness  would  go,  and 
the  people  would  see,  for  Darkness  had  promised  that  they  should  have 
a  man  by  the  name  of  Sun,  and  that  he  should  be  given  power  by  the 
Great-Father-Above ;  that  whenever  his  time  should  come  to  give  them 
to  the  Sun  he  should  be  called  or  taken  away  from  his  mother,  from 
our  great  mother  Earth  below  ;  that  the  direction  where  the  Sun  should 
come  from  should  be  called  "east,"  and  the  way  of  its  going  down 
should  be  called  "west."  He  also  announced  to  the  people  that  he 
was  the  first  being  created  and  that  he  had  been  given  power  by  the 
same  Great- Father- Above,  and  that  he  had  to  carry  out  his  work. 
He  then  told  the  people  that  it  was  very  necessary  that  they  should 
have  one  man  abler  and  wiser  than  any  other  man  among  them,  to  be 
their  head  man  ;  that  they  should  call  him  "chief  ; "  that  whatever 
the  chief  should  command  should  be  done  by  the  people  ;  that  they 
should  look  upon  him  as  a  great  father.  The  unknown  man  told  the 
people  to  return  to  their  homes,  hold  a  council  among  themselves,  and 
select  a  chief. 

When  they  had  returned  and  assembled  there  was  in  the  council  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Coyote,  who  told  the  people  that  the  unknown 
powerful  man  should  be  called  Moon,  because  he  was  the  first  man 
created  on  earth.  The  people  decided  that  the  Moon  should  be  their 
head  man  or  chief.  Finally  the  Moon  called  the  people  together  again 
and  asked  them  if  they  had  selected  their  head  man  or  chief.  Coyote 
told  him  that  they  had  decided  that  he  should  be  their  head  man,  and 
that  they  had  named  him  "  Moon."  After  Moon  came  to  be  chief  he 
selected  another  man,  whom  he  called  the  Errand- Man,  to  be  his  helper, 

*Told  by  White-Bread. 


8  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

and  to  go  around  among  the  people  to  call  them  together  whenever 
he  might  want  them. 

One  time  the  errand-man  was  sent  out  to  tell  the  people  that  the 
chief  wanted  them  to  assemble  ;  that  he  had  very  important  news  to 
tell  them,  and  that  they  should  come  as  quickly  as  they  could.  When 
they  had  come  together  the  chief  told  them  that  they  would  all  have 
to  move  away  from  the  world  that  they  were  living  in  to  another  and 
better  world ;  that  he  was  going  to  lead  them  through,  for  he  knew 
the  way.  The  village  which  they  were  going  to  leave  was  called  Old- 
Home- in- the- Darkness.  Before  the  people  were  ready  to  leave,  the 
chief  sent  the  errand-man  around  among  them  to  tell  them  that  they 
were  to  be  divided  into  groups,  because  there  were  so  many  of  them  ; 
that  each  group  must  have  a  leader,  and  he  would  give  each  leader  a 
drum.  The  people  began  to  form  in  groups  and  select  their  leaders. 
After  the  groups  were  all  formed  and  each  selected  their  leader,  the 
chief  called  all  the  leaders  together  and  gave  each  a  drum,  and  then 
they  were  ready  to  start.  The  chief  told  all  the  leaders  that  they  must 
sing  and  beat  their  drums  as  they  were  moving  along  ;  that  none  of 
them  should  ever  look  back  the  way  they  came,  lest  the  people  should 
be  stopped  and  have  to  stay  where  they  were — in  darkness. 

The  people  began  moving  westward,  and  they  came  out  of  the  ground 
to  another  world.  While  they  were  yet  coming  out  Coyote  happened 
to  be  out.  He  began  to  look  around,  then  told  the  chief  that  the  world 
was  too  small  for  the  people  ;  then  he  turned  around  and  looked  back 
in  the  direction  from  which  they  had  come.  The  people  had  not  all 
come  out,  and  so  half  of  them  went  back,  but  the  others  kept  on  going 
westward.  Finally  the  chief  picked  up  some  dirt  and  threw  it  in 
front  of  him  and  formed  very  high  mountains.  When  the  people  came 
to  the  mountains  they  stopped  and  began  to  make  their  first  homes  and 
villages.  Moon  went  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  and  looked  about  and 
found  that  the  people  had  not  all  come  the  way  he  had  come,  but  had 
scattered  and  gone  in  different  directions.  At  the  time  when  the  people 
were  all  together  they  spoke  but  one  language,  the  Caddo  ;  but  after 
they  had  scattered  out  in  groups  each  group  spoke  a  different  language. 
For  this  reason  the  many  tribes  of  the  present  time  speak  different  lan- 
guages. When  Moon  came  to  his  people,  the  few  he  had  left,  he  told 
them  the  name  of  the  place  in  the  ground  from  which  they  had  come. 
He  told  them  that  the  direction  to  their  right-hand  side  should  be  called 
north,  or  cold  side,  and^the  direction  to  their  left-hand  side  should  be 
called  south,  or  warm  side.  While  Moon  was  talking  the  Sun  came  up 
out  of  the  east,  passed  them,  and  went  down  in  the  west.  He  went  too 
fast  to  do  them  any  good  at  all.  Coyote  announced  that  he  was  going 


THE  CREATION  AND  EARLY  MIGRATIONS.  9 

to  stop  the  Sun  from  going  so  fast.  He  started  eastward  early  in  the 
morning,  and  when  he  came  to  a  good  place  to  stop  he  waited  for  the 
Sun  to  come  up.  When  the  Sun  came  up  he  found  Coyote  waiting  for 
him.  Coyote  told  the  Sun  that  he  had  come  there  for  the  purpose  of 
seeing  him ;  that  he  wanted  to  talk  with  him,  for  he  was  in  trouble. 
The  Sun  said  that  he  had  not  very  much  time  to  stop  and  talk.  Coyote 
told  the  Sun  that  he  would  go  with  him  and  talk  to  him  as  they  went 
along.  They  started  on,  walking  very  slowly.  Coyote  kept  telling 
about  things  that  had  lately  happened.  When  the  Sun  was  nearing  the 
west  Coyote  told  him  that  he  was  going  to  defecate,  and  asked  him  to 
wait  a  while.  He  started  out  behind  the  bushes,  and  just  as  soon  as  he 
was  behind  them,  where  the  Sun  could  not  see  him,  he  ran  away  from 
the  Sun  and  the  Sun  stood  there  waiting  for  him  to  return.  After 
a  while  the  Sun  grew  tired  of  waiting  and  started  on  very  slowly,  looking 
back  every  little  while  and  watching  for  Coyote  to  catch  up  with  him, 
but  Coyote  did  not  appear.  The  Sun  went  down  very  slowly,  still 
waiting  for  Coyote.  This  is  the  reason  that  the  Sun  lingers  and  goes 
down  very  slowly. 

The  people's  first  village  in  this  new  world  was  called  Tall-Timber  - 
on-Top-of-the-Hill,  for  the  place  was  in  black-jack  timber  near  the  top 
of  a  high  hill.  There  was  the  beginning  of  the  real  people.  Moon 
called  the  people  together  for  the  first  time  in  the  new  world  and  said  : 
"  Soon  there  will  be  a  child  born  of  a  certain  woman.  He  is  on  the 
way.  He  shall  have  more  power  than  any  one  else,  for  Great-Father- 
Above  has  sent  him  down  to  his  mother,  the  earth,  to  be  among  the 
people  and  teach  them  right  and  wrong.  When  the  child  conies  he 
shall  name  himself  after  the  former  chief,  Medicine-Screech-Owl,  and 
he  shall  have  with  him  bow  and  arrows." 

When  the  child  came  he  had  with  him  the  bow  and  arrows.  When 
his  birthday  came  his  father  and  mother  were  talking  about  what  name 
should  be  given  him  ;  but  before  his  mother  or  father  could  give  him  a 
name  the  young  child  spoke  and  named  himself,  saying,  ' '  My  name 
shall  be  Medicine-Screech-Owl."  He  said  to  the  people  :  "The  bow 
and  arrows  are  for  the  men  only,  to  be  used  in  killing  game.  The  time 
is  coming  when  we  shall  have  to  use  these  things,  especially  the  bow 
and  arrows. ' '  Later  on  the  people  began  to  learn  that  this  child  was 
going  to  be  a  powerful  man.  He  went  around  among  the  people  and 
taught  them  how  to  make  bows  and  arrows.  In  those  times  the  animals 
talked  to  human  beings  and  the  human  beings  could  talk  to  the  animals, 
and  they  understood  one  another.  Time  passed  and  some  of  the  human 
beings  began  to  turn  into  animals.  Medicine-Screech-Owl  knew  that 
some  of  these  people  were  not  real  human  beings.  He  knew  that  if 

2D 


10  TRADITIONS   OF   THE    CADDO. 

some  of  the  people  should  turn  into  animals  it  would  be  very  bad,  as 
the  people  would  be  destroyed  by  them,  and  as  he  knew  just  what  animals 
were  the  most  ferocious  he  went  and  made  them  a  visit  in  behalf  of  the 
people.  Some  of  the  animals  were  opposed  to  Medicine-Screech- Owl 
and  hated  him,  and  when  he  came  to  certain  ones  they  would  try  to  kill 
him,  and  that  is  how  he  came  to  kill  some  of  them. 

In  those  times  the  people  had  little  to  eat.  There  were  two  people, 
a  man  and  a  woman,  known  to  the  people  as  the  Buzzards,  who  lived 
at  the  no  rth  end  of  the  village,  and  the  people  noticed  that  they  al- 
ways had  plenty  of  meat  and  other  things  to  eat,  and  they  wondered 
how  they  got  it.  Time  passed  until  finally  Coyote  came  among  the 
people  and  told  them  that  he  was  going  over  to  visit  the  two  people 
and  find  out  where  and  how  they  got  so  much  meat  and  so  many  other 
things  to  eat.  In  those  times  the  animals  that  were  living  with  the 
people  had  some  magic  powers,  and  Coyote  had  power.  He  said : 
' '  In  order  to  find  out  where  and  how  the  Buzzard  people  get  their 
food,  I  must  scheme."  After  studying  he  resolved  that  he  would  imi- 
tate a  dog,  and  so  before  he  came  to  the  Buzzard  home  he  turned  him- 
self into  a  very  small  and  fine-looking  dog.  He  stayed  away  from  the 
Buzzards  and  watched  his  opportunity  to  place  himself  where  they 
would  find  him.  One  time  the  Buzzards  had  gone  out  some  distance 
from  their  home  for  some  purpose  and  were  returning,  when  they 
found  the  little  dog  by  the  trail.  The  woman  liked  the  dog,  but  the 
man  said  that  it  was  not  a  real  dog,  but  some  one  else.  The  woman 
did  not  believe  him.  The  man  allowed  her  to  take  the  dog  home  with 
them.  When  they  reached  home  he  told  her  that  they  must  find  out 
whether  this  was  a  real  dog  or  not.  He  told  her  to  pinch  the  dog's 
ear  and  see  if  it  would  howl  like  a  real  dog.  The  woman  pinched  the 
dog's  ear  and  it  howled  like  a  dog.  Still  the  man  did  not  believe  that 
it  was  a  dog.  He  told  the  woman  to  go  and  get  some  meat  and  give  it 
to  the  dog,  saying  that  if  a  dog  it  would  take  its  time,  but  if  it  were 
not  a  dog  it  would  eat  fast ;  that  then  he  would  know  whether  or  not 
to  believe  it  was  a  dog.  The  woman  gave  some  meat  to  the  dog. 
Coyote  took  his  time  in  eating  it,  and  so  Buzzard  believed  what  the 
woman  had  said,  and  they  kept  the  dog.  Coyote  stayed  with  them 
until  their  meat  gave  out,  then  he  watched  them  very  closely.  Finally 
the  Buzzards  began  to  talk  about  going  after  more  meat.  Coyote  lis- 
tened. At  length  they  started  out  and  left  their  dog  at  home.  They 
thought  the  dog  would  stay  at  home  until  they  returned.  But  Coyote 
had  a  scheme,  so  he  followed  at  some  distance,  so  that  they  could  not 
see  him,  and  he  watched  them  very  closely.  When  they  came  to  the 
place  where  they  usually  found  their  meat,  Coyote  found  out  all  about 


THE   CREATION   AND   EARLY   MIGRATIONS.  II 

how  and  where  they  got  it,  then  ran  back  to  their  home  and  lay  down, 
so  that  when  the  Buzzards  returned  to  their  home  they  found  their 
little  dog  lying  there  fast  asleep.  Coyote  stayed  with  them  two  days 
longer,  and  the  third  day  he  made  up  his  mind  that  he  must  carry  out 
his  work.  Barly  one  morning  he  started  out  straight  to  the  place 
where  he  had  seen  the  Buzzards  at  work.  It  was  a  large  cave  or  hole 
in  the  ground.  The  door  of  the  place  was  a  large  rock.  When  he 
came  to  the  place  he  opened  it  and  out  came  thousands  and  thousands 
of  buffalo.  They  came  out  so  fast  that  before  long  they  had  spread 
over  the  western  prairies  before  the  Buzzards  knew  it.  It  was  quite  a 
time  before  Buzzard  discovered  what  had  happened.  First  he  heard  a 
strange  noise  like  thunder.  He  went  and  looked  for  the  little  dog,  but 
in  vain,  for  the  dog  had  already  gone.  He  heard  Coyote  howling  in 
the  distance.  Buzzard  went  out  and  found  that  nearly  all  the  buffalo 
had  escaped. 

When  Coyote  went  to  his  home  he  told  the  people  to  hurry  and  make 
some  bows  and  arrows,  for  the  buffalo  were  coming.  He  told  them 
just  what  had  happened  and  how  he  had  schemed. 

Buzzard  was  very  angry  at  his  wife  and  scolded  her.  He  told  her 
that  she  ought  to  know  by  this  time  that  they  were  not  the  only  ones 
that  had  powers,  and  that  henceforth  the  only  way  that  they  could 
make  a  living  was  to  go  around  and  look  for  dead  meat.  In  order  to 
do  this  they  turned  into  birds  and  became  real  buzzards.  They  flew 
around  and  looked  for  dead  things  to  eat. 

From  that  time  on  the  people  began  to  make  bows  and  arrows,  which 
were  given  to  mankind  for  their  use  in  killing  game.  Time  passed  on 
and  the  people  noticed  that  their  chief,  Moon,  paid  no  attention  to 
them  and  seemed  to  have  nothing  to  say.  He  did  not  call  them  together 
any  more,  but  stayed  at  his  home  all  the  time.  The  people  began  to 
think  there  must  be  something  wrong,  and  so  there  was,  for  Moon 
himself  was  doing  very  wrong  things.  He  knew  that  he  was  setting 
his  people  a  bad  example,  and  he  believed  the  people  had  already  found 
out  something  about  him.  Medicine-Screech-Owl  knew  all  about  this, 
for  he  had  more  powers  than  Moon  himself.  Moon  was  living  with 
his  family  near  the  center  of  the  village  ;  he  was  the  chief,  unmarried, 
and  lived  with  his  father  and  mother  and  one  very  young  sister.  Here 
was  the  beginning  of  his  mistakes.  Unknown  to  his  father  and  mother, 
for  a  long  time  he  kept  going  by  night  to  see  his  own  sister,  not  letting 
her  know  that  he  was  her  own  brother.  He  abused  her  and  treated 
her  very  meanly  sometimes.  For  a  long  time  she  did  not  know  who 
he  could  be,  for  she  had  no  one  to  tell  her.  It  finally  occurred  to  her 
that  it  might  be  her  brother.  One  night  she  made  up  her  mind  to  find 


12  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

out  who  he  was.  She  put  some  black  paint  on  her  fingers,  and  that 
night  when  the  man  came  she  passed  her  painted  fingers  across  his  fore- 
head and  made  black  marks,  which  the  man  knew  nothing  about  until 
the  next  morning.  In  the  morning,  when  he  came  in,  she  saw  the 
marks  on  his  forehead,  and  she  knew  that  he  was  the  man  who  had 
abused  her.  When  he  learned  that  the  people  were  finding  out  about 
him  he  became  so  ashamed  of  himself  that  he  wished  to  leave  his  people. 
He  remembered  that  when  he  came  into  the  world  the  Great- Father- 
Above  had  promised  him  that  some  day  he  should  call  him  away  from 
his  people  ;  that  he  should  be  placed  where  the  people  could  see  him 
at  night,  and  that  he  should  be  with  the  people  all  the  time.  He  knew 
that  the  time  was  now  approaching  when  he  should  be  called  away 
from  his  people,  and  soon  he  was  called  away  from  them.  Great- 
Father-Above  took  him  away  and  placed  him  far  above,  where  the 
people  could  see  him  and  the  shame-marks  on  his  forehead. 

Medicine-Screech- Owl  grew  to  be  a  man,  and  after  Moon  was  gone 
the  people  gathered  again  to  select  another  chief,  and  they  selected 
the  powerful  Medicine-Screech- Owl.  His  first  announcement  to  the 
people  was  that  they  must  move  on  farther  west.  The  people  began 
moving  westward,  climbing  the  mountains.  When  they  had  got  on  top 
of  them  they  saw  a  large  lake,  and  they  wondered  where  the  water 
came  from.  Medicine-Screech- Owl  called  the  people's  attention  to  it, 
and  they  all  came  and  gathered  along  the  banks  of  the  lake.  He  then 
spoke  to  the  people,  saying  :  '  *  These  waters  which  are  before  you  are 
the  tears  of  your  great  chief,  Moon,  for  before  he  was  taken  up  into 
the  heavens  he  came  up  to  this  mountain  and  shed  tears  for  the  wrongs 
he  had  done  to  his  people.  So  we  shall  call  this  mountain  Moon's- 
Tears-on-the-Mountain."  The  people  kept  on  moving  westward  until 
they  found  a  place  where  they  wanted  to  locate  their  second  village. 
They  commenced  making  bows  and  arrows,  which  they  used  in  killing 
game.  They  began  to  go  out  a  long  distance  from  their  village  to  hunt 
buffalo  and  other  animals.  There  were  several  kinds  of  dangerous 
animals  in  the  country,  and  at  one  place  near  by  the  people  dared  not 
go,  because  there  in  the  water  was  the  most  ferocious  animal  that  ever 
lived.  Medicine-Screech- Owl  told  the  people  that  he  had  some  power 
and  that  he  was  going  to  try  to  kill  the  animal.  One  day  when  he 
was  alone  he  decided  to  go  and  destroy  the  animal.  He  went  out,  and 
when  he  came  near  the  place  where  the  animal  was  he  stopped  for  a 
short  time  at  the  edge  of  the  timber,  for  he  could  not  locate  the  animal 
exactly.  The  name  of  the  animal  was  Cannibal.  The  lake  was  large 
and  all  around  were  swamps  and  thickets.  By  the  aid  of  his  power 
and  with  a  certain  motion,  Medicine-Screech- Owl  made  a  narrow  place 


THE  CREATION  AND  EARLY  MIGRATIONS.  13 

like  a  road  through  the  thicket,  through  which  he  could  see  the  ani- 
mal. He  had  brought  with  him  from  his  village  his  bow,  but  no 
arrows,  and  some  corn,  which  he  was  to  use  in  killing  the  animal. 
When  he  made  the  opening  in  the  thicket  he  took  out  two  tall  canes 
from  the  ground,  with  the  roots  and  the  dirt  that  was  on  them,  to  be 
used  as  arrows.  The  corn  that  he  had  with  him  he  threw  in  the  air, 
and  it  became  blackbirds,  which  flew  straight  over  the  head  of  the  ani- 
mal. When  the  animal  arose  to  draw  the  blackbirds  down  to  him 
Medicine-Screech-Owl  shot  it  with  the  cane  arrows,  first  from  the  right 
side  through  the  heart  and  out  the  left,  then  from  the  left  side  through 
the  heart  and  out  to  the  right.  The  animal  fell  near  the  edge  of  the 
water  and  died.  Medicine-Screech-Owl  went  over  to  see  the  place 
where  the  animal  was.  He  saw  all  kinds  of  bones  lying  around  the 
place.  Not  long  after  this  the  lake  dried  up.  When  the  people  learned 
what  had  happened  and  what  their  chief  had  done,  they  were  no  longer 
afraid  of  the  place. 

Now  Coyote  became  a  very  bad  man.  The  people  noticed  that 
he  had  done  to  them  several  things  that  he  had  no  right  to  do.  He 
would  go  from  place  to  place,  sometimes  very  early  in  the  morning  and 
sometimes  very  late  in  the  evening.  He  made  all  kinds  of  trouble 
among  the  people.  Whenever  he  did  anything  that  was  wrong  he 
would  blame  some  one  else,  and  in  some  way  he  would  escape  the 
consequences.  Finally  Medicine-Screech-Owl  sent  for  Coyote  and 
told  him  that  he  must  leave  the  people  and  go  on  his  way ;  but  Coyote, 
being  a  great  schemer,  told  the  chief  that  he  was  going  to  stop  doing 
mean  tricks  among  his  people,  and  that  he  was  not  yet  ready  to  leave. 
Medicine-Screech-Owl  allowed  him  to  stay  with  the  people  until  he 
should  be  captured  or  killed  at  any  time. 

2.  THE  ORIGIN  OF  DAY  AND  NIGHT.* 

In  the  beginning  the  people  all  lived  in  darkness.  After  a  time  they 
became  dissatisfied  and  wanted  light.  They  called  a  council  to  discuss 
how  they  could  get  light.  Coyote  was  the  first  to  speak,  and  he  said  : 
' '  We  have  had  enough  darkness  ;  we  must  now  have  light.  It  is  right 
that  we  should  have  both  and  not  all  darkness. ' '  There  was  a  man  at 
that  time  who  was  a  prophet,  and  Coyote  said  that  he  appointed  the 
prophet  to  investigate  and  see  how  the  people  might  obtain  light.  The 
prophet  thought  over  the  question  and  then  reported  : 

"There  are  yellow,  black,  spotted,  half-spotted,  and  white  deer  upon 
the  earth.  These  deer  are  here  for  some  purpose.  If  you  kill  the  yellow 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


14  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

deer,  everything  shall  be  yellow  all  the  time.  If  you  kill  the  white 
deer,  everything  shall  be  white  all  the  time.  If  you  kill  the  spotted 
one,  everything  shall  be  spotted  and  very  bad.  If  you  kill  the  black 
one,  everything  shall  be  black  as  it  is  now.  But  if  you  kill  both  the 
black  and  the  white  deer,  then  we  shall  have  day  and  night.  During 
the  day  everything  will  be  white,  and  we  can  go  about  and  hunt  and 
visit,  and  during  the  night  we  can  return  to  our  homes  and  rest." 

The  people  accepted  the  prophet's  words  and  started  out  and  hunted 
until  they  killed  the  black  and  white  deer,  and  from  that  time  we  have 
had  day  and  night. 

3.  THE  ORIGIN  OF  ANIMALS. 

The  people  and  animals  all  lived  together  and  were  the  same  in  the 
beginning  of  the  world.  After  a  time  they  became  too  numerous  and 
there  was  not  food  enough  for  all.  A  council  was  held  and  the  chiefs 
determined  that  some  should  become  animals  and  live  apart  from  the 
people  and  be  hunted  by  them  for  food.  Some  of  the  people,  who  lived 
where  the  big  fire  had  burned  off  the  grass,  were  rolled  about  in  the 
black  ashes  until  they  became  black.  Again  they  were  rolled  and  then 
they  took  on  the  form  of  bears.  lyong  pieces  of  white  stone  were  put 
upon  their  feet  for  claws  and  in  their  mouth  for  teeth.  They  were 
given  ten  lives.  When  killed  the  first  time,  the  second  life  was  to 
arise  from  the  blood  that  was  spilled  upon  the  ground,  and  so  the  third 
life  was  to  arise  from  the  blood  that  was  spilled  when  the  bear  was 
killed  for  the  second  time,  and  so  on  through  the  other  lives  up  to  the 
tenth.  During  the  first  life  the  bear  was  not  to  be  fierce,  but  as  often 
as  he  was  killed  and  passed  to  another  life  he  was  to  become  fiercer  and 
fiercer,  until,  when  he  came  to  the  tenth  life,  he  would  fight,  and  even 
eat,  human  beings. 

Some  other  people  who  lived  where  the  long  grass  grew  were  rolled 
upon  the  earth,  and  when  they  arose  they  had  the  form  of  buffalo,  and 
the  grass  had  stuck  to  them  and  hung  all  like  a  beard  under  their 
necks.  They,  too,  were  given  ten  lives  and  then  put  upon  the  prairie 
to  live,  where  man  could  hunt  them.  The  deer  were  then  made  in  the 
same  way,  and  after  them  all  the  other  animals  were  made. 

4.  COYOTE  REGULATES  LIFE  AFTER  DEATH.* 

The  people  had  many  councils  from  time  to  time.  The  errand  man 
went  all  round  to  call  the  people  to  these  councils.  At  one  council 
Coyote  arose  and  said :  "  First,  we  must  change  our  rule  about  death, 
because  all  are  not  being  treated  alike.  Now  when  some  die  they  come 

*  Told  by  White-Bread. 


COYOTE   REGULATES   LIFE   AFTER   DEATH.  15 

back  to  their  people,  and  then  others  die  and  never  see  their  people 
again.  I  propose  to  make  another  rule,  so  that  we  may  all  be  treated 
alike  after  death.  This  is  the  rule  that  I  wish  to  propose  :  When  any 
one  dies  let  him  be  dead  forever,  and  let  no  living  person  ever  see  him 
again.  Our  Great- Father- Above  made  a  place  there  where  every  one 
of  us  may  go  after  death.  Now  when  any  one  dies  he  shall  go  from 
the  living  forever,  but  we  shall  still  keep  up  the  fire  for  six  days. ' '  All 
the  people  were  well  pleased  with  Coyote's  rule,  and  so  from  that  time 
on,  even  to  the  present  day,  the  same  rule  is  kept,  and  when  anybody 
dies  he  is  gone  forever,  never  to  return  again.  The  people  are  taken 
to  the  .sky  when  they  die  and  become  the  stars  that  we  see  at  night. 

Morning  Star,  who  freed  the  earth  from  bad  animals,  had  three 
brothers,  and  he  was  the  oldest  one  and  the  leader  of  all  the  tribe.  In 
the  beginning  he  had  been  the  errand  man,  and  during  war  expeditions 
he  had  to  get  up  early  in  the  morning,  hours  before  dawn,  to  go  around 
the  camps  and  wake  the  people,  so  that  the  enemy  would  not  find  them. 
That  is  the  reason  he  gets  up  so  early  now.  In  the  evening  one  of  his 
brothers  would  go  back  a  long  distance  to  see  if  the  enemy  were  coming 
on  their  trail,  and  so  the  man  was  named  Evening  Star.  The  other 
two  brothers  were  named  North  Star  and  South  Star,  and  these  four 
brothers  always  had  something  to  do.  North  Star  always  had  to  camp 
in  the  North  and  watch  for  the  enemy  lest  they  should  approach  from 
that  direction  ;  South  Star  had  to  camp  in  the  South  and  watch  lest 
the  enemy  should  approach  from  that  direction.  Their  father's  name 
was  Great  Star,  and  he  was  the  chief  of  the  people.  Now  the  people 
think  that  when  any  one  dies  he  goes  up  to  the  sky,  where  he  turns 
around  and  looks  back  and  becomes  one  of  the  stars,  and  so  they  believe 
every  one  when  he  dies  goes  up^to  the  sky. 

5.  COYOTE  AND  THE  ORIGIN  OF  DEATH. 

In  the  beginning  of  this  world  there  was  no  such  thing  as  death. 
Every  one  continued  to  live  until  there  were  so  many  people  that  there 
was  not  room  for  any  more  on  the  earth.  The  chiefs  held  a  council 
to  determine  what  to  do.  One  man  arose  and  said  that  he  thought  it 
would  be  a  good  plan  to  have  the  people  die  and  be  gone  for  a  little 
while,  and  then  to  return.  As  soon  as  he  sat  down  Coyote  jumped  up 
and  said  that  he  thought  that  people  ought  to  die  forever,  for  this  little 
world  was  not  large  enough  to  hold  all  of  the  people,  and  if  the  people 
who  died  came  back  to  life  there  would  not  be  food  enough  for  all. 
All  of  the  other  men  objected,  saying  that  they  did  not  want  their 
friends  and  relatives  to  die  and  be  gone  forever,  for  then  people  would 
grieve  and  worry  and  there  would  not  be  any  happiness  in  the  world. 


1 6  TRADITIONS   OF   THE    CADDO. 

All  except  Coyote  decided  to  have  the  people  die  and  be  gone  for  a 
little  while,  and  then  to  come  back  to  life. 

The  medicine-men  built  a  large  grass  house  facing  the  east,  and 
when  they  had  completed  it  they  called  all  of  the  men  of  the  tribe  to- 
gether and  told  them  that  they  had  decided  to  have  the  people  who 
died  come  to  the  medicine-house  and  there  be  restored  to  life.  The 
chief  medicine-man  said  that  he  would  put  a  large  white  and  black 
eagle  feather  on  top  of  the  grass  house,  and  that  when  the  feather  be- 
came bloody  and  fell  over,  the  people  would  know  that  some  one  had 
died.  Then  all  of  the  medicine- men  were  to  come  to  the  grass  house 
and  sing.  They  would  sing  a  song  that  would  call  the  spirit  of  the 
dead  to  the  grass  house,  and  when  the  spirit  came  they  would  cause  it 
to  assume  the  form  that  it  had  while  living,  and  then  they  would  re- 
store it  to  life  again.  All  of  the  people  were  glad  when  the  medicine- 
men announced  these  rules  about  death,  for  they  were  anxious  for  the 
dead  to  be  restored  to  life  and  come  again  to  live  with  them. 

After  a  time  they  saw  the  eagle  feather  turn  bloody  and  fall,  and  so 
they  knew  that  some  one  had  died.  The  medicine-men  assembled  in 
the  grass  house  and  sang,  as  they  had  promised  that  they  would,  for 
the  spirit  of  the  dead  to  come  to  them.  In  about  ten  days  a  whirl- 
wind blew  from  the  west,  circled  about  the  grass  house,  and  finally  en- 
tered through  the  entrance  in  the  east.  From  the  whirlwind  appeared 
a  handsome  young  man  who  had  been  murdered  by  another  tribe. 
All  of  the  people  saw  him  and  rejoiced  except  Coyote,  who  was  dis- 
pleased because  his  rules  about  dead  were  not  carried  out.  In  a  short 
time  the  feather  became  bloody  and  fell  again.  Coyote  saw  it  and  at 
once  went  to  the  grass  house.  He  took  his  seat  near  the  door,  and 
there  sat  with  the  singers  for  many  days,  and  when  at  last  he  heard 
the  whirlwind  coming  he  slipped  near  the  door,  and  as  the  whirlwind 
circled  about  the  house  and  was  about  to  enter,  he  closed  the  door. 
The  spirit  in  the  whirlwind,  finding  the  door  closed,  whirled  on  by. 
Death  forever  was  then  introduced,  and  people  from  that  time  on 
grieved  about  the  dead  and  were  unhappy.  Now  whenever  any  one 
meets  a  whirlwind  or  hears  the  wind  whistle  he  says :  ' '  There  is  some 
one  wandering  about."  Ever  since  Coyote  closed  the  door  the  spirits 
of  the  dead  have  wandered  over  the  earth,  trying  to  find  some  place  to 
go,  until  at  last  they  find  the  road  to  spirit  land. 

Coyote  jumped  up  and  ran  away  and  never  came  back,  for  when  he 
saw  what  he  had  done  he  was  afraid.  Ever  after  that  he  ran  from  one 
place  to  another,  always  looking  back  over  first  one  shoulder  and  then 
over  the  other,  to  see  if  any  one  was  pursuing  him,  and  ever  since  then 
he  has  been  starving,  for  no  one  will  give  him  anything  to  eat. 


THE   SECOND    MAN   WHO   CAME   OUT   OP   THE   EARTH.  1 7 

6.  THE  SECOND  MAN  WHO  CAME  OUT  OF  THE  EARTH.* 

In  the  beginning,  when  the  people  first  came  out  of  the  earth  into  the 
world,  Moon  was  the  first  man  to  enter  the  world.  The  second  man 
was  Tonin,  and  he  was  even  greater  than  Moon  and  more  powerful. 
He  was  only  about  four  feet  high  and  rode  a  bay  horse  that  was  no 
bigger  than  a  dog.  He  had  the  power  to  turn  darkness  into  light,  and 
to  wish  for  anything  and  have  his  wish  fulfilled  at  once.  If  he  wished 
to  go  a  long  distance,  no  sooner  did  he  wish  than  he  was  there,  no 
matter  how  far,  and  if  he  wished  to  kill  any  kind  of  game,  all  he  had 
to  do  was  to  point  to  it  with  his  forefinger  and  it  lay  dead  before  him. 
From  time  to  time  he  disappeared  and  the  people  did  not  know  where 
he  went,  until  one  time  they  saw  him  going  as  though  on  wings  up 
into  the  blue  sky.  He  was  able  to  tell  what  would  happen  in  the  future, 
and  so  one  time  he  sent  the  errand  man  to  go  out  and  call  all  the  people 
to  come  to  the  meeting  place,  for  he  had  something  that  he  wanted  to 
say  to  them.  When  the  people  were  all  assembled,  he  came  and  talked 
to  them  for  half  a  day.  He  talked  to  them  about  this  world  in  which 
they  were  living,  and  then  he  told  them  that  in  six  days  he  was  going 
away,  and  that  he  would  be  gone  six  winters  and  seven  summers.  He 
told  them  that  he  did  not  know  exactly  where  he  would  go,  but  that 
he  wanted  them  all  to  come  in  six  days  and  see  him  start  on  his  journey. 
The  people  went  home  and  on  the  sixth  day  came  again,  and  after  they 
were  there  a  little  while  Tonin  came.  He  began  to  sing  a  song,  the 
song  of  death,  and  then  he  was  gradually  lifted  from  the  earth  and  taken 
into  the  sky.  All  the  people  wept  for  fear  he  would  not  come  back, 
but  they  remembered  his  promise  to  return,  and  so  took  courage. 

Time  passed  and  the  people  remembered  Toniii  and  his  words  for 
about  three  summers  and  three  winters ;  then  they  began  to  forget 
about  him  and  his  words.  Time  passed  on  and  it  was  time  for  him  to 
return  ;  then  the  world  began  to  change.  The  stars  became  brighter 
and  larger.  Tonin  had  several  brothers,  and  one  of  these  brothers  had 
remembered  what  he  promised  the  people,  so  he  knew  that  it  was  time 
for  him  to  return.  When  the  day  came  this  brother  gave  the  sign  to 
his  people  that  Tonin  was  about  to  return  by  beating  six  times  on  the 
drum  ;  but  some  of  the  people  had  so  completely  forgotten  Tonin  that 
they  did  not  even  know  what  the  sign  meant.  Toward  evening  a 
large  star  came  up  and  shone  very  bright  in  the  east,  and  all  the  people 
came  and  gathered  together  to  watch  it.  When  Tonin  came  back  to 
earth  he  was  pleased  to  see  the  people  all  there  to  meet  him,  and  he 

*  Told  by  White- Bread. 


1 8  TRADITIONS  OF  THE  CADDO. 

told  them  about  the  future.  He  told  them  that  strange  people  were 
coming  into  the  land,  and  that  the}'  would  frighten  away  the  buffalo, 
the  deer,  and  the  bear.  He  stayed  on  earth  sometime,  then  called  the 
people  together  and  told  them  that  he  was  going  as  he  had  gone  before, 
but  that  this  time  he  was  not  to  return.  Then  he  went  up  into  the  sky. 

7.  SNAKE- WOMAN  DISTRIBUTES  SEEDS. 

The  Great  Father  gave  the  seeds  of  all  growing  things  to  Snake- 
Woman.  He  taught  her  how  to  plant  the  seeds  and  how  to  care  for 
the  green  things  that  grew  from  them  until  they  were  ripe,  and  then 
how  to  prepare  them  for  food.  One  time,  when  Snake-Woman  had 
more  seeds  than  she  could  possibly  care  for,  she  decided  to  give  some 
to  the  people.  She  called  her  two  sons  and  asked  them  to  help  her 
carry  the  seeds.  Bach  put  a  big  bag  full  of  seeds  on  his  back,  and 
then  they  traveled  all  over  the  world,  giving  six  seeds  of  each  kind  of 
plant  to  every  person.  As  Snake- Woman  gave  each  person  the  seeds 
she  told  him  that  he  must  plant  them,  and  must  care  for  the  plants 
that  grew  from  them,  but  must  allow  no  one,  especially  children,  to 
touch  them  or  even  point  to  them  as  they  grew.  She  said  that  until 
the  seeds  were  ripe  they  belonged  to  her,  and  if  any  one  gathered  them 
too  soon  she  would  send  a  poisonous  snake  to  bite  him.  Parents  always 
tell  their  children  what  Snake- Woman  said,  and  so  they  are  afraid  to 
touch  or  go  near  any  growing  plants  for  fear  a  snake  will  come  and 
bite  them. 

8.  THE  FLOOD  * 

One  time  a  long,  hot,  dry  season  came  and  all  the  waters  of  the  earth 
dried  up.  The  people  wandered  from  place  to  place,  trying  to  find 
water,  and  after  many  days  they  became  crazed  and  did  many  foolish 
things.  They  went  to  the  dried-up  river  beds  and  there  found  many 
dead  fish  and  turtles  and  animals  that  dwelt  in  the  water,  and  the  people 
cut  them  to  pieces  and  threw  them  about,  for  they  thought  that  these 
animals  and  fish  were  in  some  way  responsible  for  the  waters  disap- 
pearing. While  they  were  acting  foolishly  they  looked  up  and  saw  a 
man  in  the  sky  coming  toward  them  from  the  west.  A  wind  blew, 
and  the  man  approached  and  lighted  on  the  ground  before  them.  In 
his  hand  he  carried  a  small  green  leaf.  He  told  the  people  that  they 
had  not  acted  wisely  and  had  abused  him,  and  that  he  was  angry  with 
them.  He  motioned  the  leaf  in  four  directions  and  drops  of  water  fell 
from  it.  Soon  the  waters  grew  in  volume  and  arose  all  over  the  world, 
even  to  the  tree-tops,  and  the  highest  mountains  except  one.  To  this 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


THE  FLOOD.  19 

high  mountain  the  man  led  a  few  of  the  people  whom  he  chose,  and 
they  stayed  on  the  mountain  for  four  days,  while  the  water  rose  higher 
and  higher.  As  the  waters  rose  the  man  caused  the  mountain  to  rise 
with  them.  He  could  do  this  because  he  had  greater  power  than  the 
spirit  of  Cold  or  Heat.  After  a  time  the  waters  began  to  go  down, 
and  green  things  appeared  upon  the  earth  again.  Then  he  led  the 
people  down  from  the  mountain.  They  found  that  many  people  who 
had  been  left  in  the  water  during  the  flood  had  not  drowned,  but  had 
turned  into  alligators  and  other  water  animals. 

9.  THE  EFFEMINATE  MAN  WHO  INTRODUCED  STRIFE. 

One  time  there  lived  among  the  people  a  man  who  always  did  the 
women's  work  and  dressed  like  the  women  and  went  with  them,  and 
never  went  with  the  men.  The  men  made  fun  of  him,  but  he  did  not 
care,  and  continued  to  work  and  play  only  with  the  women.  A  war 
broke  out  with  some  other  tribe,  and  all  of  the  men  went  to  fight  but 
this  man,  who  stayed  behind  with  the  women.  After  the  war  party 
had  gone,  an  old  man,  who  was  too  old  to  go  with  them,  came  to  him 
and  told  him  that  if  he  would  not  go  to  fight  he  was  going  to  kill  him, 
for  it  was  a  disgrace  to  have  such  a  man  in  the  tribe.  The  man  refused 
to  go,  saying  that  the  Great  Father  did  not  send  him  to  earth  to  fight 
and  did  not  want  him  to.  The  old  man  paid  no  attention  to  his  excuse, 
and  told  him  if  he  did  not  go  to  fight  he  would  have  the  warriors  kill 
him  when  they  returned  from  battle  with  the  enemy.  The  man  said 
that  they  could  not  kill  him,  that  he  would  always  come  to  life,  and 
would  bewitch  people  and  cause  them  to  fight  and  kill  one  another. 
The  old  man  did  not  believe  him,  and  when  the  war  party  came  home 
he  told  the  men  that  they  would  have  to  kill  the  man  because  he  was 
a  coward,  and  they  could  not  let  a  coward  live  in  the  tribe.  They  beat 
him  until  they  thought  he  was  dead,  and  were  just  ready  to  bury  him 
when  he  jumped  up  alive.  Again  they  beat  him  until  he  fell ;  then 
they  cut  off  his  head.  He  jumped  up  headless  and  ran  about,  fright- 
ening all  of  the  people.  They  were  just  about  to  give  up  killing  him 
when  some  one  noticed  a  small  purple  spot  on  the  little  finger  of  his 
left  hand.  They  cut  that  out ;  then  he  lay  down  and  died.  Soon  after 
many  people  began  to  fight  and  quarrel,  and  some  even  killed  their  own 
brothers  and  sisters  and  fathers  and  mothers.  The  other  people  tried 
to  stop  the  fighting,  but  could  not,  because  the  people  were  bewitched 
and  could  not  help  themselves.  Then  the  old  man  remembered  what 
the  coward  had  said,  and  he  told  the  people,  and  they  were  all  sorry 
that  they  had  killed  him. 


20  TRADITIONS   OF   THE    CADDO. 

10.  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  MEDICINE-MEN.* 

In  days  of  old  people  knew  the  animals  and  were  on  friendly  terms 
with  them.  All  of  the  animals  possessed  wonderful  powers  and  they 
sometimes  appeared  to  people  in  dreams  or  visions  and  gave  them  their 
power.  Often  when  men  were  out  hunting  and  were  left  alone  in  the 
forest  or  on  the  plains  at  night,  the  animals  came  to  them  and  spoke  to 
them  in  dreams  and  revealed  their  secrets  to  them.  The  man  who  had 
had  a  dream  of  this  kind  woke  up  and  went  home.  There  he  remained 
several  days  in  silence,  refusing  to  talk  to  any  one,  thinking  only  of  the 
things  that  had  been  revealed  to  him.  After  a  time  he  called  some  of 
his  friends  and  the  old  men  of  the  tribe  to  his  lodge  and  told  them  of 
his  powers  and  asked  them  if  they  would  be  taught  his  secrets.  If 
they  agreed  the  man  taught  them  his  songs  and  dances.  After  he  had 
taught  them  all  the  necessary  things  they  declared  themselves  ready  to 
give  a  Medicine- Men's  dance,  and  gave  themselves  the  title  of  medicine- 
men. Then  if  any  one  was  sick  in  the  village  and  sought  the  aid  of 
the  medicine-men  they  prepared  to  hold  the  dance  in  behalf  of  that 
person,  that  they  might  try  their  powers  of  healing  on  him.  They 
built  a  large  grass  lodge,  and  the  dance  was  held  in  this  lodge  for  six 
days  and  nights. 

The  first  medicine-men  ever  to  receive  power  and  give  the  dance 
were  two  young  brothers.  These  boys  were  brave  hunters,  and  one 
time  when  they  were  out  on  the  hunt  night  overtook  them  far  from 
any  habitation.  They  made  a  camp  in  the  lonely  woods  and  laid  down 
to  sleep,  for  they  were  very  weary.  In  their  sleep  they  both  had  a 
dream  and  in  their  dreams  each  met  the  other,  and  they  dreamed  that 
they  were  walking  together  toward  the  east.  On  their  way  they  saw 
a  man  coming  toward  them,  and  he  was  walking  rapidly  toward  the 
west.  They  met  him  and  he  stopped  and  talked  with  them  in  their 
language.  After  they  had  talked  long,  the  man  revealed  a  bag  that 
he  carried  and  said,  "  Choose  from  this  any  kind  of  medicine  that  you 
want.  If  you  wish  to  live  long  and  be  hard  to  kill,  take  this,"  and  he 
handed  them  certain  medicine.  When  the  boys  had  accepted  it  he 
said,  "  Now  that  you  have  the  same  power  that  I  have,  I  will  show 
you  how  to  use  it."  He  spent  a  long  time  teaching  them  how  to  use 
the  medicine  and  then  he  continued  his  journey  toward  the  west.  At 
break  of  day  both  boys  woke  up,  and  each  remembered  his  dream,  but 
said  nothing  to  the  other  or  to  any  one,  but  thought  long  on  what  the 
man  had  taught  him.  After  many  months  each  began  to  try  his 
powers. 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


THE   ORIGIN   OF   THE   MEDICINE-MEN.  21 

After  two  winters  war  broke  out  with  the  Chickasaw  people,  and 
many  were  killed  and  yet  many  more  were  taken  prisoners.  The 
victorious  Chickasaws  marched  home  with  their  prisoners  and  booty, 
and  every  night  when  they  made  camp  they  held  war  dances  and 
danced  about  their  prisoners,  who,  bound,  were  placed  in  the  center 
of  the  large  ring  of  dancers.  One  night,  after  the  dancing  was  over 
and  the  prisoners  lay  exhausted  and  cold,  one  of  them,  a  young  man, 
escaped.  It  was  nearly  morning  and  he  had  not  gone  far  when  the 
sun  came  up,  and  he  heard  the  Chickasaws  coming  after  him.  He  did 
not  know  what  to  do  and  was  about  to  give  up  when  he  saw  a  hollow 
log.  He  crawled  into  it  and  the  Chickasaws  came  to  the  log  and  went 
on  by.  He  stayed  in  the  log  all  day,  and  in  the  evening,  after  he  had 
heard  the  Chickasaws  return,  he  crawled  out  and  went  on  toward  his 
home.  After  two  days  he  reached  his  village  and  there  told  his  story. 
There  were  many  men  in  the  village  who  had  been  away  when  the 
Chickasaws  made  their  attack,  and  among  them  were  the  two  brothers 
who  had  received  power  in  their  dreams.  By  that  time  the  Chickasaws 
were  about  five  days  on  their  way,  but  the  men  started  to  pursue  them. 
The  elder  brother,  whose  name  was  Strong- Wind,  was  chosen  to  take 
the  lead.  After  several  days'  marching  they  overtook  the  enemy. 
They  came  upon  their  camp  at  night,  and  they  could  hear  the  beat  of 
the  drums  and  the  songs  of  victory  before  they  found  the  camp.  The 
night  was  very  dark,  and  so  the  men  had  to  wait  until  dawn  before 
they  could  attack  the  camp.  At  the  first  light  they  rushed  into  the 
camp  and  killed  many  Chickasaws  and  rescued  their  prisoners.  Strong- 
Wind  and  his  brother  were  equal  to  ten  men  apiece,  and  so  wonderful 
were  their  powers  that  they  alone  rushed  into  the  midst  of  the  enemy 
and  killed  many  and  took  many  women  as  prisoners.  The  Chickasaws 
were  powerless  before  them,  and  even  their  own  people  stopped  fighting 
to  stare  in  wonder  at  the  brave  deeds  of  the  two  young  men.  The  few 
Chickasaws  who  were  left  fled  in  terror  and  the  party  returned  home 
rejoicing. 

After  many  years,  during  which  time  the  brothers  practiced  their 
powers  in  times  of  war,  they  died  and  the  tribe  was  left  without  any 
medicine-men.  Finally  there  was  a  very  young  man,  who  became  a 
medicine-man  through  powers  given  him  by  the  Black-Mountain-Bear. 
One  time  while  he  was  out  hunting  he  wandered  far  in  quest  of  game, 
and  before  he  realized  it  the  sun  was  down  and  it  was  growing  dark. 
He  thought  of  his  home  and  knew  that  he  could  not  reach  it  before 
night.  He  made  a  shelter,  lay  down  to  sleep,  and  dreamed  that  he 
was  walking  on  a  narrow  trail  leading  eastward.  He  looked  ahead 
and  saw  a  man  sitting  by  the  wayside  with  his  head  down.  As  he 


22  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

approached,  the  man  raised  his  head,  looked  at  him,  and  said  •  "  My 
boy,  I  want  to  give  you  some  medicine,  for  I  want  you  to  have  powers 
like  mine."  The  old  man  took  out  many  roots  and  told  the  boy  to 
choose  six  of  them.  He  took  six  of  the  roots  ;  then  the  old  man  told 
him  that  he  would  have  to  go  before  six  men,  each  of  whom  would 
explain  the  power  of  one  medicine  and  how  to  use  it.  The  boy  did  not 
want  to  go  to  so  many  men  for  fear  he  would  not  have  time,  and  so  he 
gave  back  four  of  the  roots.  Then  he  thanked  the  old  man  and  started 
on  his  way.  Soon  he  saw  another  old  man  sitting  by  the  trail,  and  as 
he  approached,  the  man  arose,  and  when  he  came  up  to  him  he  began 
to  talk  to  the  boy  and  explained  the  use  of  his  medicine.  While  he 
was  yet  on  the  way,  going  toward  the  third  man,  he  awoke.  He 
returned  to  his  mother's  lodge,  but  kept  silent,  and  spoke  to  no  one  for 
many  days,  thinking  always  about  his  dream  and  the  things  that  had 
been  taught  him.  He  wandered  about  alone,  looking  always  for  the 
medicine  roots  he  had  seen  in  his  dream.  After  many  months  he  found 
the  plant. 

Soon  after  there  was  a  man  in  another  village  who  was  about  to  die, 
and  when  the  young  man  heard  of  the  sick  man  he  determined  to  go 
and  see  him  and  try  his  powers.  He  called  the  medicine-men  together 
and  taught  them  the  medicine  dance-song  that  had  been  taught  him  in 
the  dream ;  then  they  all  went  to  the  lodge  where  the  sick  man  was. 
All  the  people  wondered  why  the  young  man  should  call  the  men  to 
sing  medicine  dance-songs  for  him,  for  they  never  thought  of  him  as 
having  power.  He  was  with  the  sick  man  a  long  time  before  he  could 
find  out  what  was  the  matter  with  him.  First,  the  dancers  danced  very 
slowly,  and  gradually  increased  the  movement,  as  was  their  custom. 
So  long  was  the  young  man  in  finding  out  what  was  the  matter  with 
the  sick  man,  that  the  dancers  were  dancing  as  fast  as  they  possibly 
could  before  he  decided.  Thus  they  danced  for  six  days  and  nights, 
and  many  of  the  dancers  dropped  to  the  ground  exhausted.  Finally 
the  young  man  began  to  talk  in  a  tongue  no  one  understood,  and  he 
began  to  dance  slowly.  Then  the  others  knew  that  he  had  discovered 
what  ailed  the  man.  He  fell  to  the  ground  and  began  to  crawl  like  a 
mad  bear.  He  crawled  up  to  the  sick  man  and,  placing  his  mouth  on 
the  place  where  the  greatest  pain  was,  drew  the  pain  out  by  blowing 
his  breath  on  the  place,  and  the  pain  was  gone.  The  people  knew 
then  that  the  boy  was  in  truth  a  medicine-man,  and  by  his  actions  they 
knew  that  the  Black-Mountain-Bear  had  given  him  power.  It  was  the 
Bear  who  had  appeared  to  the  young  man  as  an  old  man  in  his  dream. 
From  that  time  he  was  called  Black-Mountain-Bear-Medicine-Man. 
Then  the  chief  of  the  medicine  men's  society  announced  that  all  the 


THE   ORIGIN   OF   THE   MEDICINE-MEN.  23 

medicine-men  were  going  to  hold  a  dance,  and  they  wanted  the  young 
man  to  be  present  and  show  his  powers,  if  he  had  any.  The  dance  was 
held  and  every  one  attended.  Black-Mountain-Bear-Medicine-Man  sat 
and  watched  the  dancers  until  the  last,  the  sixth  night  of  the  dance  ; 
then  he  arose  and  joined  in  the  dance.  He  danced  faster  and  faster, 
and  after  a  time  went  over  and  picked  up  a  gun.  He  took  the  bullet 
out,  then  he  showed  it  and  the  powder  to  all  the  people.  Then  he  put 
them  in  the  gun  again  and  gave  it  to  his  helper.  He  continued  danc- 
ing, and  after  he  had  danced  a  long  time  and  very  fast  he  fell  to  the 
ground.  After  a  while  he  arose  on  his  knees  and  spread  out  his  arms. 
His  helper  shot  him  through  the  breast  and  he  fell  over  in  a  faint. 
vSoon  he  arose  and  began  dancing  again,  and  as  he  danced  he  showed 
the  bullet  to  the  people  and  also  bared  his  breast,  and  they  could  see  no 
marks.  He  had  caught  the  bullet  in  his  hands.  After  that  he  became 
a  member  of  the  medicine-men's  society. 

After  a  time  another  young  man  appeared  with  wonderful  power, 
also  given  him  by  the  Mountain-Bear.  He  appeared  at  the  medicine- 
men's lodge  one  night,  where  they  were  having  a  dance,  and  he  joined 
in  and  did  many  wonderful  things.  He  had  a  bear's  skin  that  he 
could  cause  to  turn  into  a  young  bear,  which  would  follow  him  about,  and 
then  he  would  turn  the  animal  back  into  a  piece  of  skin. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  medicine-men.  One  kind  has  power  to  doctor 
and  heal  the  sick  ;  another  has  the  power  to  prevent  any  one  from  being 
hurt  or  harmed,  and  can  charm  away  all  danger.  The  latter  are  supposed 
to  be  more  powerful  than  the  first  kind  of  medicine-men,  for  they  can 
perform  their  magic  without  medicine  and  have  power  to  bewitch  people 
who  are  afar  off,  and  thus  make  them  lose  their  minds  and  not  know 
what  they  are  doing.  They  have  a  song  of  death,  and  when  they  sing 
the  song  before  a  dying  person  they  frighten  away  death  and  the  person 
lives.  There  are  few  people  who  ever  receive  this  power,  which  is 
generally  given  by  the  sun,  moon,  stars,  earth,  or  storm,  but  some  very 
wild  and  ferocious  animals  can  also  give  the  power  to  people. 

II.  THE  GIRL  WHO  MARRIED  A  TURTLE. 

A  girl  lived  alone  with  her  two  brothers.  They  were  famous  hunters 
and  were  away  all  day  hunting.  While  they  were  gone  the  girl  often 
played  down  by  the  water,  and  there  she  came  to  know  Turtle.  One 
day  he  came  up  to  her  and  asked  her  if  she  would  have  him  for  her 
husband.  She  said  that  she  would,  and  after  that  she  met  him  when- 
ever she  went  to  the  lake.  Often  her  brothers  wanted  to  carry  the  water 
for  her,  but  she  would  never  let  them,  but  would  always  go  herself  and 
stay  a  long  time  with  Turtle.  One  time  her  brothers  went  away  to  be 


24  TRADITIONS   OF   THE    CADDO. 

gone  many  days.  She  told  Turtle  that  they  were  gone  and  that  she 
was  going  to  take  him  to  her  house  and  keep  him  there.  He  was  glad, 
for  then  he  could  be  with  her  all  of  the  time.  She  went  home  and  built 
a  high  bed,  and  when  she  had  finished  it  she  carried  Turtle  home  and 
put  him  in  the  bed.  She  asked  him  what  he  liked  best  to  eat,  and  he 
said  that  he  liked  potatoes  better  than  anything  else.  Every  day  she 
went  out  to  hunt  potatoes  and  prepared  a  big  bowl  full  and  put  it  up 
in  the  bed  for  him  to  eat.  After  several  days  her  brothers  came  home, 
and  so  she  thought  she  would  take  Turtle  back  to  the  river,  but  he 
begged  so  hard  to  stay  that  she  yielded  to  him,  though  she  knew  that 
she  took  a  risk.  She  told  Turtle  that  he  must  always  stay  up  in  the 
bed  where  her  brothers  could  not  see  him  and  must  not  move  when  the}' 
were  about,  for  they  would  hear  him  and  look  for  him  and  would  surely 
kill  him  if  they  found  him.  The  boys  noticed  the  high  bed  when  they 
returned,  but  their  sister  told  them  that  she  had  made  it  because  she 
felt  safer  in  it  while  they  were  gone.  Then  they  thought  nothing  more 
about  it  until  they  noticed  that  their  sister  regularly  filled  a  large  bowl 
with  potatoes  and  put  it  in  the  bed  and  then  took  it  out  empty.  They 
began  to  suspect  something,  but  said  nothing.  One  day  they  said  that 
they  were  going  to  hunt.  The  girl  watched  them  until  they  were  out 
of  sight ;  then  she  took  her  digging  stick  and  started  after  more  potatoes 
for  Turtle.  The  boys  only  pretended  to  go  hunting  and  soon  came 
back.  They  slipped  up  to  the  house  and  peeped  in.  When  they  found 
that  their  sister  was  gone  they  went  in  and  climbed  up  to  the  bed  to  see 
what  was  there.  They  found  Turtle  and  killed  him,  then  ran  away. 
When  the  girl  came  home  and  found  her  husband  dead,  she  knew  at 
once  that  her  brothers  had  killed  him  and  she  started  after  them. 

The  boys  ran  until  they  came  to  a  river.  There  they  met  many 
white  ducks  playing  on  the  water.  In  those  days  all  birds  were  white. 
The  boys  offered  to  paint  the  ducks  all  different  colors  if  they  would 
carry  them  and  their  little  bob -tailed  dog  that  was  with  them  across 
the  river  and  not  tell  any  one  that  they  had  seen  them  or  helped  them 
across.  The  ducks  agreed,  and  so  the  boys  painted  their  feathers. 
Then  the  ducks  took  them  on  their  backs  and  flew  across  the  stream 
with  them.  Soon  the  girl  came  along  and  asked  the  ducks  if  they 
had  seen  anything  of  two  young  men  and  a  white  bob-tailed  dog. 
They  said  that  they  had  not  seen  them,  and  the  girl  was  about  to  turn 
back  when  one  white  duck,  whom  the  boys  had  forgotten  to  paint, 
flew  up  and  told  her  that  her  brothers  and  their  dog  had  just  passed, 
and  that  the  other  ducks  had  lied  to  her,  because  the  boys  had  painted 
their  feathers  if  they  would  not  tell  her  the  truth.  The  white  duck 
carried  the  girl  across  the  river  and  she  began  again  to  pursue  her 


THE   GIRL  WHO   MARRIED   A   TURTLE.  25 

brothers.  They  saw  her  coming  and  were  afraid  that  she  would 
overtake  them,  when  they  met  three  white  doves.  They  asked  the 
doves  to  take  them  and  their  dog  on  their  backs  and  carry  them  to  the 
sky.  The  doves  agreed  and  flew  to  the  sky  with  them  and  left  them 
there.  As  the  doves  were  flying  down  they  flew  through  so  much 
smoke  that  their  white  feathers  became  gray.  The  girl  met  the  doves 
and  asked  them  where  her  brothers  and  the  little  bob-tailed  dog  were. 
The  doves  pointed  to  three  bright  stars  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
sky.  The  girl  looked,  and  when  she  saw  that  her  brothers  and  their 
dog  had  become  stars  she  fell  dead. 

12.  THE  MAN  AND  THE  DOG  WHO  BECAME  STARS. 

A  young  man  had  a  Dog  which  he  always  took  with  him  whenever 
he  went  to  hunt.  When  he  was  at  home  he  did  not  pay  much  atten- 
tion to  the  Dog,  and  the  Dog  acted  like  any  other  dog,  but  when  they 
were  off  alone  the  Dog  would  talk  to  his  master  just  as  if  he  were  a 
man.  He  had  the  power  of  a  prophet  and  could  always  tell  what  was 
going  to  happen.  One  time,  while  they  were  out  hunting,  the  Dog  came 
running  back  to  his  master  and  told  him  that  they  were  about  to  come 
to  a  very  dangerous  place.  The  young  man  asked  where  the  place 
was,  and  the  Dog  said  that  he  did  not  know  just  where  it  was,  but  that 
he  knew  it  was  not  far  away.  In  another  instant  the  Dog  scented  a 
deer  and  started  out  on  its  trail,  and  the  man  followed.  Soon  they 
came  upon  the  deer.  The  man  shot  it,  but  only  wounded  it,  and  it 
continued  to  run  until  it  reached  the  lake,  and  then  jumped  into  the 
water.  The  Dog  jumped  in  after  it  and  soon  caught  it,  because  he 
could  swim  faster  than  the  wounded  deer.  He  held  it  while  the  young 
man  threw  off  his  clothes  and  swam  to  his  assistance.  Soon  they  killed 
the  deer,  and  then  the  man  put  it  on  his  shoulders  and  started  to  swim 
to  the  shore.  All  at  once  the  Dog  cried  out,  "Look  out !  "  There 
before  them  and  all  around  them  were  all  kinds  of  poisonous  and  dan- 
gerous water  animals.  The  man  thought  that  they  would  surely  be 
killed,  for  the  animals  were  so  numerous  that  they  could  not  possibly 
swim  past  them.  He  began  to  pray  to  the  spirits  to  help  him,  and  as 
he  prayed  the  water  leaped  up  and  threw  them  on  the  shore.  The 
young  man  felt  so  grateful  to  the  spirits  who  had  saved  his  and  his 
Dog's  lives  that  he  cut  some  of  the  flesh  from  the  deer  and  threw  it 
into  the  water  as  a  sacrifice.  Then  he  and  the  Dog  decided  that  they 
would  not  stay  longer  in  this  dangerous  world,  and  so  they  went  to  the 
sky  to  live.  There  they  can  be  seen  as  two  bright  stars  in  the  south. 
The  one  to  the  east  is  the  young  man,  and  the  one  to  the  west  is  the  Dog. 


26  .  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 


13.  EVENING-STAR  AND  ORPHAN-STAR. 

A  poor  orphan  boy  lived  with  a  large  family  of  people  who  were  not 
kind  to  him  and  mistreated  him.  He  could  not  go  to  play  or  hunt 
with  the  other  boys,  but  had  to  do  all  of  the  hard  work.  Whenever 
the  camp  broke  up  the  family  always  tried  to  steal  away  and  leave  the 
boy  behind,  but  sooner  or  later  he  found  their  new  camp  and  went  to 
them  because  he  had  no  other  place  to  go.  One  time  several  families 
went  in  boats  to  an  island  in  a  large  lake  to  hunt  eggs,  and  the  orphan 
boy  went  with  them.  After  they  had  filled  their  boats  with  eggs  they 
secretly  made  ready  to  go  back  to  the  mainland.  In  the  night,  while 
the  orphan  boy  was  asleep,  they  stole  away  in  their  boats,  leaving  him 
to  starve  on  the  lonely  island. 

The  boy  wandered  about  the  island,  eating  only  the  scraps  that  he 
could  find  around  the  dead  camp  fires,  until  he  was  almost  starved. 
As  he  did  not  have  a  bow  and  arrows,  he  could  not  hunt,  but  he  sat  by 
the  water's  edge  and  tried  to  catch  fish  as  they  swam  past  him.  One 
day  as  he  sat  on  the  lonely  shore  he  saw  a  large  animal  with  horns 
coming  to  him  through  the  water.  He  sat  very  still  and  watched  the 
animal,  for  he  was  too  frightened  to  run  away.  The  monster  came 
straight  to  him,  then  raised  his  head  out  of  the  water  and  said  :  ' '  Boy, 
I  have  come  to  save  you.  I  saw  the  people  desert  you,  and  I  have  taken 
pity  upon  you  and  come  to  rescue  you.  Get  upon  my  back  and  hold 
to  my  horns  and  I  will  carry  you  to  the  mainland."  The  boy  was  no 
longer  afraid,  but  climbed  upon  the  animal's  back.  ' '  Keep  your  eyes 
on  the  blue  sky,  and  if  you  see  a  star  tell  me  at  once,"  the  animal  said 
to  him.  They  had  not  gone  far  when  the  boy  cried,  ' '  There  in  the 
west  is  a  big  star."  The  monster  looked  up  and  saw  the  star,  then 
turned  around  at  once  and  swam  back  to  the  island  as  fast  as  he  could. 
The  next  day  he  came  and  took  the  boy  again,  telling  him,  as  before,  to 
call  out  the  moment  that  he  saw  a  star  appear  in  the  sky.  They  had 
gone  a  little  farther  than  they  had  the  day  before  when  the  boy  cried  out, 
' '  There  in  the  west  is  a  star. ' '  The  animal  turned  around  and  went 
to  the  shore.  The  next  day  and  the  next  four  days  he  started  with 
the  boy,  and  each  time  he  succeeded  in  getting  a  little  farther  before 
the  boy  saw  the  star.  The  sixth  time  they  were  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
opposite  shore  when  the  boy  saw  the  star.  He  wanted  to  reach  the  shore 
so  badly  that  he  thought  he  would  keep  still  and  not  tell  the  monster 
that  he  saw  the  star,  for  he  knew  that  he  would  take  him  back  to  the 
island  at  once  if  he  did.  He  said  nothing,  and  so  the  monster  swam 
on  until  they  were  almost  in  shallow  water,  when  the  boy  saw  a  great 
black  cloud  roll  in  front  of  the  star.  He  became  frightened  and  jumped 


EVENING-STAR    AND   ORPHAN-STAR.  27 

off  of  the  animal's  back  and  swam  to  the  shore.  Just  as  he  jumped 
something  struck  the  animal  with  an  awful  crash  and  he  rolled  over 
dead.  When  the  boy  came  upon  the  shore  a  handsome  young  man 
came  up  to  him  and  said  :  * '  You  have  done  me  a  great  favor.  For  a 
long  time  I  have  tried  to  kill  this  monster,  because  he  makes  the  water 
of  the  lake  dangerous,  but  until  now  I  could  never  get  the  chance. 
In  return  for  what  you  have  done,  I  will  take  you  with  me  to  the  sky, 
if  you  care  to  go. "  The  boy  said  that  he  wanted  to  go,  as  he  was  alone 
and  friendless  upon  the  earth.  The  man,  who  was  Evening-Star,  took 
him  with  him  to  the  sky,  and  there  he  may  be  seen  as  Orphan-Star 
who  stands  near  Evening-Star. 

14.  THE  GIRL  WHO  MARRIED  A  STAR.* 

One  time  a  maiden  slept  in  an  arbor,  and  as  she  lay  under  the  blue 
sky  she  watched  the  stars.  One  star  especially  she  watched,  and  she 
wished  that  it  would  become  a  man  and  marry  her,  for  she  did  not  care 
for  any  of  the  young  men  of  the  village.  She  went  to  sleep  wishing 
that  the  star  would  marry  her.  When  she  awoke  she  saw  no  stars,  but 
an  old  man  sitting  by  the  fireside.  "  Where  am  I  ?"  she  asked .  "Your 
wish  is  granted  ;  you  are  the  Star's  wife.  I  am  the  Star. ' '  She  began 
to  cry,  for  the  man  was  old  and  homely  and  she  was  young  and  beautiful, 
and  so  she  had  dreamed  that  her  husband  would  be.  The  Star's  sister 
was  preparing  something  to  eat,  and  she  told  the  girl  to  stop  crying  and 
come  and  eat.  After  a  while  the  two  women  went  out  to  dig  potatoes. 
They  saw  one  big  potato,  and  the  girl  asked  the  Star's  sister  what  the 
big  potato  was  for.  She  answered  that  it  was  the  door  of  heaven, 
and  that  it  covered  the  entrance  to  the  world  beneath.  Then  the  girl 
cried  again  and  begged  the  woman  to  let  her  go  back  to  her  people. 
She  told  her  how  unhappy  she  was  and  what  a  mistake  she  had  made 
in  wishing  to  marry  the  Star.  The  woman  told  the  Star  all  that  his 
wife  had  said,  and  so  the  Star  agreed  to  let  her  return  to  her  people  in 
six  days.  The  two  women  went  out  to  gather  bark  from  young  elm 
trees  to  make  a  rope  for  the  girl  to  climb  down  to  earth  on.  After 
they  had  gathered  the  bark  they  began  to  make  the  rope  and  the  Star 
helped  them.  After  six  days  the  rope  was  only  half  long  enough,  and 
so  the  old  man  said  she  would  have  to  wait  six  more  days  until  they 
could  complete  the  rope.  On  the  eleventh  day  the  rope  was  finished, 
and  the  Star's  sister  cooked  some  corn  meal  for  the  girl  to  eat  on  the 
way  and  filled  a  squash  vessel  with  water  for  her.  The  Star  told  her 
to  start  early  the  next  morning,  for  it  would  take  her  ten  winters  and 

*Told  by  Wing. 


28  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

summers  to  get  to  the  earth.  They  fastened  her  to  the  end  of  the  rope 
and  then  removed  the  potato  and  let  her  through  the  hole  and  gradually 
let  the  rope  slip  out.  At  first  she  could  see  nothing  but  darkness;  then 
after  a  long  time  she  could  see  the  earth.  After  she  had  traveled 
through  many  waves  of  warm  and  cold  air,  she  knew  she  had  been  on 
her  way  many  summers  and  winters.  Her  food  was  almost  gone  and 
still  she  was  a  long  way  from  the  earth.  Suddenly  the  rope  ceased  to 
slip  and  she  hung  swinging  back  and  forth.  She  had  come  to  the  end 
of  the  rope.  It  was  not  long  enough.  She  hung  there  for  a  long  time 
and  was  about  to  die  from  hunger  and  weariness  when  she  saw  Buzzard 
circling  around  below  her.  She  called  to  Buzzard  to  come  and  help  her. 
He  came,  and  after  she  had  told  him  her  story  he  told  her  to  get  on  his 
back  ;  that  he  would  take  her  down  to  earth.  Buzzard  flew  for  a  long 
time  and  the  girl  was  heavy,  so  that  he  nearly  gave  out.  He  saw  Hawk 
flying  below  him,  and  he  called  Hawk  and  asked  him  to  help  him  take 
the  girl  home.  Hawk  flew  with  the  girl  until  they  could  see  the  moun- 
tains and  the  rivers  ;  then  he  gave  out.  Buzzard  took  the  girl  on  his 
back  again,  and  thanking  Hawk  for  his  help,  told  him  to  go  his  way;  that 
he  could  take  the  girl  on  to  her  home.  Buzzard  flew  on  and  on  until 
they  could  see  the  trees,  and  soon  they  were  even  with  the  tops  of  the 
highest  trees.  Then  Buzzard  told  the  girl  to  go  into  her  lodge  when 
she  went  home  and  not  to  let  any  one  but  her  father  and  mother  see 
her.  She  was  so  thin  that  she  was  little  more  than  skin  and  bones. 
Buzzard  flew  to  the  ground  and  lighted  very  gently  just  outside  the 
girl's  village.  He  pointed  out  her  parents'  lodge  to  her  and  then  said 
good-bye  and  flew  away. 

The  girl  rested  for  a  while  and  then  began  to  walk  very  slowly  to 
the  lodge,  for  she  was  weak  and  exhausted.  On  the  way  she  saw  a 
woman  coming  toward  her.  She  hid  behind  a  bush,  but  the  woman 
saw  her  and  screamed,  for  the  girl  was  so  thin  that  she  frightened  her. 
The  girl  told  the  woman  not  to  be  afraid  and  told  her  who  she  was. 
Then  the  woman  recognized  the  lost  maiden  and  helped  her  to  her 
lodge.  Her  mother  did  not  know  her  at  first,  but  when  she  found 
that  the  girl  was  her  daughter  she  threw  her  arms  about  her  and  wept. 
The  news  of  the  girl's  return  spread  throughout  the  village,  but  her 
parents  obeyed  her  wish  and  refused  to  let  any  one  see  her  until  after 
the  tenth  day.  Then  they  came  to  her  tipi  and  she  told  them  her 
story  and  especially  about  the  kindness  shown  her  by  Buzzard. 

After  that  the  people  always  left  one  buffalo  for  the  buzzards  after  a 
big  killing. 


THE   GIRL   WHO    MARRIED   A   STAR.  29 

15.  THE  GIRL  WHO  MARRIED  A  STAR.* 

Long  ago  there  lived  a  large  family — father,  mother,  and  eight  chil- 
dren, four  girls  and  four  boys.  They  were  all  beautiful  children,  espe- 
cially one  of  the  girls,  who  was  exceptionally  beautiful.  The  time 
came  when  three  of  the  girls  were  married,  but  the  youngest  and  most 
beautiful  would  not  receive  the  attention  of  any  one.  The  girl  was 
peculiar  in  her  tastes  and  roamed  around  alone.  She  wished  to  go 
away  somewhere,  for  she  was  tired  of  her  home.  One  time  while  she 
was  walking  alone  she  began  praying  to  the  spirits  to  help  her,  that  she 
might  go  wherever  she  wished.  That  night  she  was  outside  the  lodge 
watching  the  stars,  and  she  found  that  the  stars  were  not  all  alike ;  that 
some  were  bright  and  some  were  very  dim.  Finally  she  saw  one,  the 
North  Star,  that  was  very  bright,  and  then  again  she  began  to  pray  to 
the  spirits  to  help  her,  and  she  wished  that  she  might  marry  the  star 
and  become  his  wife.  She  ceased  praying  and  did  not  know  where  she 
was  for  a  while,  and  the  first  thing  she  saw  was  a  very  old  man  sitting  by 
the  fireside  with  his  head  down.  She  stood  for  a  long  while  watching 
him.  At  first  she  could  not  believe  herself,  and  she  thought  that  she 
was  only  dreaming,  but  finally  the  old  man  looked  up  at  her  and  said  : 
' '  You  are  the  young  woman  who  wished  to  marry  me  and  you  have 
your  wish  ;  you  are  now  in  my  home  as  my  wife,  as  you  wished."  She 
did  not  like  the  looks  of  the  old  man,  and  she  wished  that  she  might 
get  away  from  him  ;  but  her  wish  was  not  granted  and  she  had  to  stay. 
She  tried  many  ways  to  get  away,  but  all  failed,  and  she  was  about  to 
give  up  when  she  thought  of  a  great  big  round  stone  that  the  Star  had 
told  her  not  to  move,  for  it  was  very  dangerous  to  move  it.  One  time 
when  the  Star  was  away  on  a  visit  she  thought  she  would  go  over  and 
lift  the  stone  and  see  what  was  there.  She  lifted  the  stone  and  found 
that  she  could  look  clear  down  to  the  earth,  and  then  she  began  to 
wonder  how  she  could  get  down  to  the  earth.  She  put  the  stone  back 
in  its  place,  and  when  the  Star  came  back  he  asked  her  where  she  had 
been,  and  she  told  him  that  she  had  been  at  home  all  the  time.  When 
night  came  she  went  to  bed,  and  as  she  was  wondering  how  to  get  down 
to  the  earth  she  thought  about  making  a  long  rope  out  of  soapweeds, 
for  she  had  heard  the  old  story  about  the  people  making  such  a  rope 
long  ago.  When  the  Star  went  away  for  his  nightly  trip  she  would  go 
out  and  cut  soapweeds  ;  but  when  he  came  back  he  would  always  find 
her  at  home,  and  so  he  never  thought  of  her  doing  anything  of  the 
kind.  Finally  she  had  enough  weeds  cut,  and  then  she  began  to  make 
the  rope.  It  took  her  a  long  while  before  she  had  the  rope  finished. 

*Told  by  Annie  Wilson. 


30  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

One  day  she  thought  she  had  rope  enough  to  reach  down  to  the  earth. 
She  went  and  lifted  the  stone  to  one  side  and  dropped  the  rope  down 
just  as  fast  as  she  could.  She  finally  came  to  the  end  of  the  rope  ;  then 
she  fastened  it  to  the  rock  and  placed  the  rock  over  the  hole  again  and 
went  back  home.  When  the  man  came  she  was  at  home,  but  the  next 
time  he  went  away  she  went  to  the  hole  and  began  to  climb  down.  It 
took  her  a  long  while  before  she  could  see  the  land  plainly,  and  before 
she  came  to  the  tops  of  the  trees  she  came  to  the  end  of  the  rope,  and 
she  did  not  know  what  to  do.  She  was  getting  very  tired,  but  she 
hung  there  for  some  time,  and  after  a  while  she  heard  a  noise  near  her 
and  she  looked  and  saw  a  bird.  The  bird  passed  under  her  feet  several 
times,  and  when  he  passed  the  fourth  time  he  told  her  that  he  would 
take  her  down  and  carry  her  home  if  she  would  step  on  to  his  back. 
She  stepped  on  the  bird's  back,  and  he  asked  her  if  she  was  ready,  and 
she  said  that  she  was  ;  then  he  told  her  to  let  go  of  the  rope.  She  did 
so,  and  the  bird  began  to  fly  downward  very  easily.  The  bird  asked 
if  she  would  let  him  take  her  on  to  her  home,  and  she  said  that  she 
would.  The  bird  then  took  her  to  her  home,  and  when  they  came  near, 
the  bird  let  her  down  and  told  her  that  he  had  to  go  back  to  his  home  ; 
but  before  leaving  her  he  told  her  that  he  was  Black  Eagle. 

16.  LIGHTNING  AND  THE  PEOPLE. 

In  the  beginning  Lightning  lived  upon  the  earth  with  the  people, 
but  he  became  so  powerful  and  killed  so  many  of  the  people  that  they 
feared  and  hated  him.  One  time  after  he  had  become  angry  and  killed 
a  number  of  the  people,  the  chiefs  of  the  tribe  called  a  council  to  deter- 
mine what  to  do  with  him.  They  decided  that  he  could  no  longer  live 
with  the  people,  but  would  have  to  go  away.  Lightning  pleaded  to 
stay,  but  the  chiefs  would  not  change  their  decision  and  told  him  that 
he  would  have  to  go. 

Not  long  after  Lightning  had  gone  a  great  monster  that  lived  under- 
ground among  the  rocks  began  to  carry  away  the  people.  They  tried 
in  every  way  to  kill  him,  but  could  not,  for  he  always  disappeared 
under  the  ground  where  they  could  not  reach  him.  Lightning  ap- 
peared to  them  and  told  them  that  he  would  kill  the  monster  if  they 
would  let  him  come  back  and  live  with  them.  He  said  that  he  wanted 
to  come  back  to  earth,  and  that  he  would  kill  all  monsters  and  make 
the  earth  a  safe  place  for  the  people  to  live  on,  and  would  not  do  any 
more  harm  himself  if  they  would  let  him  come  back.  The  people  de- 
cided to  let  Lightning  come,  because  there  was  no  one  else  powerful 
enough  to  kill  the  great  monster. 


THE   BROTHERS   WHO   BECAME   UGHTNING   AND    THUNDER.        31 

17.  THE  BROTHERS  WHO  BECAME  LIGHTNING  AND  THUNDER.* 

When  the  world  was  new  there  lived  among  the  people  a  man  and 
his  wife  and  one  child,  a  boy  of  about  twelve  years.  The  people  called 
the  man  "  Medicine-Man."  Now  and  then  he  went  out  on  the  hunt, 
and  never  was  known  to  come  home  without  killing  a  deer,  and  almost 
every  time  he  came  home  with  a  big  buck.  One  time  when  he  was 
out  hunting  he  killed  a  deer  and  then  started  back  for  home,  and  when 
he  reached  home  he  found  his  little  boy  there  alone  and  not  as  usual, 
for  he  looked  weary  and  frightened.  When  his  father  asked  him  where 
his  mother  was  he  began  to  cry  and  said  he  did  not  know ;  that  all  he 
knew  was  that  she  took  a  water  bucket  and  went  down  toward  the 
creek.  He  said  that  he  had  run  over  there  two  or  three  times  calling 
his  mother,  but  no  answer  came.  Then  both  the  little  boy  and  Medi- 
cine-Man went  down  to  the  place  where  the  woman  usually  went  to 
get  water,  but  they  could  not  find  her.  They  found  foot-prints  at  the 
edge  of  the  water,  and  then  the  Medicine-Man  knew  that  his  wife  and 
the  mother  of  his  only  child  was  dead  and  gone  ;  that  something  had 
taken  her  life ;  so  they  came  back  to  their  home  and  mourned  for  her 
six  days.  They  built  a  fire  and  watched  it  and  stayed  by  it  for  six 
days  and  nights. 

The  seventh  day  Medicine- Man  told  his  son  that  he  was  going  hunt- 
ing, for  their  meat  was  about  out.  He  went  out  to  hunt  and  the  little 
boy  stayed  at  home  alone.  While  his  father  was  gone  the  boy  would 
play  around  the  house,  shooting  with  his  bow  and  arrows.  When 
Medicine- Man  came  home  he  found  his  little  son  there  waiting  for 
him.  Medicine-Man  went  out  to  hunt  the  second  and  the  third  time 
and  found  the  boy  safe  on  his  return.  The  fourth  time  he  went  out. 
While  he  was  gone  the  little  boy  went  out  to  play.  While  he  was 
shooting  with  his  bow  and  arrows  he  saw  some  one  coming  toward 
him.  He  was  not  a  man,  but  a  boy  of  his  own  size,  and  had  with  him 
a  bow  and  arrows.  Medicine- Man's  boy  was  afraid  of  him,  and  was 
about  to  run  and  cry  when  the  unknown  boy  spoke  to  him,  saying  : 
*  'Don't  be  afraid  of  me,  brother  ;  I  know  you  don't  know  me.  I  am 
your  elder  brother. ' '  The  unknown  boy  looked  queer  to  him.  He 
had  a  rather  long  nose  and  very  long  hair,  but  Medicine-Man's  boy 
was  not  afraid  of  him  since  he  had  spoken.  He  continued  :  "I  know 
you  are  lonely  ;  that  is  why  I  thought  of  coming  down  here  to  see  you. 
Every  time  our  father  goes  out  for  a  hunt  I  will  come  to  see  you,  but 
you  must  not  tell  him  that  I  came  to  see  you  while  he  is  gone.  Say 
nothing  to  him  about  me.  Now,  brother,  let  us  see  who  is  the  best 

*Told  by  Wing. 


32  TRADITIONS   OF   THK   CADDO. 

shot  with  the  bow  and  arrows. ' '  They  began  to  play.  Finally  he  said 
to  his  brother,  "Father  is  coming  and  I  must  go,"  and  he  ran  back  to 
the  woods.  Medicine-Man  was  far  from  home  when  the  boy  saw  him 
coming,  and  when  he  came  the  boy  was  gone,  and  his  son  did  not  say 
anything  about  his  having  been  there. 

Again  Medicine-Man  went  to  hunt,  the  second  time  and  the  third 
and  the  fourth  time.  When  he  came  home  in  the  evening  after  he  had 
been  out  the  fourth  time  the  boy  seemed  troubled.  They  ate  and  then 
went  to  bed.  About  midnight  the  boy  woke  up  and  thought  of  his 
secret  brother,  and  he  thought  at  once  that  he  must  tell  his  father 
about  his  brother.  He  woke  his  father  and  said :  * '  Father,  I  have 
something  to  tell  you,  although  I  was  told  not  to  say  anything  about 
it  to  you. ' '  Medicine- Man  gave  very  close  attention.  ' '  Father,  some- 
body comes  here  every  time  you  go  out  to  hunt,  and  he  is  not  very 
big  ;  he  is  about  my  size.  When  he  first  came  he  frightened  me  and  I 
started  to  run,  but  did  not  know  where  to  go,  and  I  began  to  cry  and 
the  boy  told  me  not  to  be  afraid  of  him,  for  he  was  my  brother.  He 
has  a  long  nose  and  wears  long  hair  and  has  a  bow  and  arrows,  and 
we  always  play  around  here  every  time  you  go  out  to  hunt  and  he 
treats  me  kindly.  He  seems  to  see  you,  no  matter  where  you  are,  and 
when  you  start  home  he  knows  when  you  are  coming,  and  then  runs 
for  the  woods,  and  when  you  get  here  he  is  gone. "  "  Well,  my  boy, ' ' 
said  Medicine- Man,  "  we  must  capture  the  boy  some  way.  You  must 
go  out  there  and  play  just  as  if  I  had  gone  away  again,  and  whenever 
he  asks  you  where  I  am,  tell  him  I  am  out  hunting.  I  will  turn  into  a 
very  small  insect  and  stay  behind  the  door." 

The  little  boy  ran  out  next  morning  with  the  bow  and  arrows  and 
began  to  play  at  the  usual  place.  Finally  the  other  boy  came,  but 
before  he  came  near  he  spoke  and  asked  Medicine- Man's  boy  where 
their  father  was,  and  the  boy  said  that  he  had  gone  out  hunting  again. 
The  boy  began  to  look  around,  and  finally  he  said  :  ' '  Who  is  that  man 
behind  the  door?"  at  the  same  time  running  back  to  the  woods. 

Again  the  next  day  the  boy  went  out  to  play  ;  this  time  Medicine- 
Man  placed  himself  at  the  edge  of  the  roof  of  the  grass  house.  When 
the  boy  came  he  asked  his  brother  where  their  father  was.  He  an- 
swered that  he  had  gone  out  hunting,  but  the  boy  would  not  come 
near.  He  began  to  look  around,  and  finally  he  said  :  "  Who  is  that 
man  under  the  roof?  "  and  he  ran  back  into  the  woods  again.  Then 
Medicine- Man  said  :  "  We  must  catch  him  some  way.  When  he  sits 
down  near  to  you,  tell  him  that  something  is  crawling  in  his  hair,  and 
then  he  will  let  you  look  in  his  hair.  Then  catch  hold  of  a  small 
bunch  of  his  hair  and  tie  it  up  four  times ;  then  call  me  and  I  will  be 


THE  BROTHERS  WHO  BECAME  LIGHTNING  AND  THUNDER.    33 

there  just  as  soon  as  I  can.  You  must  not  let  him  go  until  I  get 
there."  The  little  boy  understood. 

The  other  boy  had  already  run  away  twice  and  this  was  the  third 
attempt.  This  time  Medicine- Man  placed  himself  in  the  middle  of  the 
fire.  The  boy  went  out  and  began  to  play.  Soon  the  other  boy  came. 
He  asked  the  boy  where  their  father  was  and  he  told  him  he  went  out 
to  hunt.  The  unknown  boy  began  to  look  around,  and  finally  he  said  : 
4 '  Who  is  that  man  in  the  fire  ?  "  and  then  he  ran  back  to  the  woods. 
The  next  day  the  boy  went  out  and  began  to  play  and  the  unknown 
boy  came  again,  and  asked  the  boy  the  same  question.  The  boy  an- 
swered that  their  father  had  gone  out  to  hunt.  This  time  Medicine- 
Man  had  placed  himself  behind  another  door,  and  the  unknown  boy 
found  him  again  and  went  back  to  the  woods.  And  so  the  fifth  time 
came,  and  this  time  Medicine- Man  placed  himself  in  the  air,  and  when 
the  unknown  boy  came  he  found  him  again  and  went  back  to  the 
woods. 

Medicine-Man  tried  once  more.  If  he  failed  the  sixth  time  he  could 
do  nothing  more,  for  he  would  have  used  all  his  powers.  He  told  his 
boy  to  go  out  again  to  play  as  usual,  and  this  time  his  own  boy  did  not 
see  which  way  he  had  gone.  Finally  the  other  boy  came  and  asked 
where  their  father  was,  and  he  told  him  that  he  was  out  hunting.  This 
time  the  unknown  boy  believed  him,  and  so  he  came  near  and  sat  down 
by  him  and  the  little  boy  got  hold  of  his  hair  and  said  :  ' '  There  is 
something  crawling  up  in  your  hair,  brother,"  and  then  the  boy  told 
him  to  get  the  bug  out  of  his  hair  ;  and  the  boy  began  to  do  as  he  had 
been  told,  and  when  he  got  through  he  called  out,  "All  ready,  father." 
Medicine-Man  jumped  out  from  the  grass  house,  and  then*they  cap- 
tured the  boy  and  took  him  into  the  grass  house  and  held  him  there 
for  six  days.  At  the  end  of  the  sixth  day  the  little  boy  boiled  some 
water  and  they  washed  the  other  boy,  and  Medicne-Man  cut  his  nose 
off  and  made  it  look  like  a  human  nose.  Medicine-Man  said  :  "  You 
have  been  coining  here  when  I  am  absent  and  have  been  playing 
with  my  son  and  you  call  him  brother.  Now  you  may  be  his  brother 
and  stay  with  him  and  go  out  and  play  with  him. ' '  The  boys  went 
out  to  play,  and  before  Medicine-Man  went  to  hunt  again  he  went 
over  to  see  the  boys  and  told  them  he  was  going  to  hunt,  and  told 
them  to  stay  at  home  and  not  to  go  to  a  certain  place  in  the  timber, 
where  some  very  large  squirrels  lived,  for  they  often  killed  little  chil- 
dren. After  their  father  was  gone  the  unknown  boy  told  his  young 
brother  they  would  go  there  and  see  the  squirrels,  and  so  they  started. 
They  could  not  find  the  place  for  a  while,  but  finally  they  did,  and 
they  stood  there  for  a  good  while  watching  the  big  hole  in  the  tree. 


34  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

After  a  while  one  of  the  big  squirrels  came  out,  and  sticking  his 
tongue  out  like  a  snake,  took  the  younger  brother  into  the  tree.  The 
other  boy  stood  there  watching  the  squirrel  take  his  brother  into  the 
hole.  He  did  not  try  to  help  his  brother,  for  he  knew  he  could  get  him 
out  of  the  hole  whenever  he  wanted  to.  After  the  boy  had  disappeared 
he  went  back  to  their  home,  and  when  he  got  there  he  found  their  father 
already  returned  from  the  hunt.  The  father  asked  him  where  his 
son  was,  and  the  boy  told  him  that  his  brother  and  he  were  making 
lots  of  arrows,  and  that  he  came  home  after  fire  to  dry  the  arrows  with 
it.  He  took  the  fire  and  carried  it  to  the  timber,  where  he  placed  it 
near  the  tree  where  the  large  squirrel  was.  Then  he  brought  some 
hard,  red  stones  and  put  them  in  the  fire,  and  when  the  stones  were 
very  hot  he  took  one  of  them  and  threw  it  into  the  hole,  and  then 
another  one.  While  he  was  standing  there  watching  the  hole  he  saw 
the  large  squirrel  come  out  from  the  hole  and  drop  down  on  the  ground 
dead.  Then  he  went  over  and  cut  the  squirrel's  stomach  open  and 
found  his  brother  in  there,  still  alive.  He  took  him  down  to  the  river 
and  washed  him  and  then  they  both  went  home. 

Sometimes  these  two  boys  would  go  out  to  make  arrows.  One  time 
when  they  went  out  the  unknown  boy  made  two  arrows  for  his  young 
brother  ;  one  he  painted  black  and  the  other  he  painted  blue.  They 
made  a  small  wheel  out  of  bark  of  the  elm  tree.  One  of  the  boys  would 
stand  about  fifty  yards  away  from  the  other,  and  they  would  roll  this 
little  wheel  to  each  other  and  would  shoot  the  wheel  with  the  arrows. 
They  played  with  the  wheel  every  day  until  finally  Medicine- Man's 
boy  failed  to  hit  the  wheel,  and  the  wheel  kept  rolling  and  did  not  stop 
until  it  went  a  long  way  from  them,  and  they  never  found  it  again. 
The  boy  felt  very  bad,  and  he  wanted  to  get  the  wheel  back,  and  so 
the  unknown  boy  said  :  ' '  Don't  worry,  brother,  for  we  can  get  the  wheel 
back  again. ' '  And  so  they  started  out,  and  they  did  not  let  their  father 
know  where  they  were  going,  nor  how  long  they  would  be  away  from 
home.  They  went  a  long  way  and  they  could  see  the  trace  of  the  wheel 
all  the  way.  Finally  the  unknown  boy  said  :  "  Well,  brother,  we  are 
about  half  way  now,  and  we  must  stop  for  a  rest. ' '  They  began  praying 
to  the  spirits  to  help  them.  The  unknown  boy  had  two  pecan  nuts,  and 
he  told  his  brother  to  watch,  that  he  was  going  to  put  one  of  the  nuts 
in  the  ground.  Then  they  began  to  pray  again,  and  while  they  were 
praying  the  pecan  nut  began  to  sprout,  and  it  grew  taller  and  larger. 
Finally  the  tree  grew  so  tall  that  it  went  clear  up  into  the  sky,  and 
then  the  unknown  boy  told  his  brother  that  he  was  going  up  on  this 
tree,  and  that  he  must  sit  near  to  the  tree,  but  must  never  look  up  to 
the  sky,  but  down  on  the  earth,  and  that  he  was  going  to  be  gone  for  a 


THE   BROTHERS   WHO   BECAME   UGHTNING   AND   THUNDER.         35 

good  while,  until  he  dropped  all  the  bones  that  he  had  in  his  body  ; 
that  at  the  last  he  would  drop  his  head,  and  then  the  boy  must  gather 
all  the  bones  up,  put  them  on  a  pile,  cover  them  with  buffalo  calf's 
hide,  take  the  black  arrow  and  shoot  it  up  just  as  hard  as  he  could,  and 
when  he  heard  the  arrow  corning  down  to  tell  him  to  get  out  of  the  way, 
that  the  arrow  was  coming  right  on  him,  and  that  the  pile  of  bones 
would  get  out  of  the  way.  Then  he  started  climbing  up  the  tree  and 
the  little  boy  sat  on  the  ground  looking  down.  After  quite  a  while  he 
saw  one  of  the  bones  drop,  and  then  another  and  another,  and  so  on 
until  all  the  bones  had  dropped,  and  then  he  gathered  them  up  and 
piled  them  together  and  covered  them  with  the  buffalo  calf's  hide. 
Then  he  shot  the  black  arrow  just  as  he  was  told,  and  when  he  heard 
the  arrow  coming  down  he  cried  out :  "  Look  out,  brother,  the  arrow 
is  coming  down  right  on  you.  Get  out  of  the  way."  His  brother 
jumped  out  from  the  buffalo  calf's  hide,  and  the  arrow  struck  right 
where  the  hide  was.  He  said,  "  My  father  gave  me  very  dangerous 
power,  and  so,  brother,  you  must  climb  up  the  tree  and  he  will  give 
you  power,  too."  The  little  boy  climbed  the  tree,  and  he  went  clear 
up  as  far  as  the  other  boy  had  gone.  He  did  not  know  where  he  was, 
and  it  seemed  like  a  dream  to  him,  and  when  the  bones  began  to  fall 
from  his  body  he  did  not  know  it.  All  he  remembered  was  that  there 
was  some  one  talking  to  him,  but  he  did  not  see  who  it  was,  and  the 
next  thing  he  heard  was,  "L,ook  out,  brother,  the  arrow  is  coming 
right  down  on  you.  Get  out  of  the  way. ' '  He  jumped  out  of  the  way 
and  saw  his  brother  standing  there.  His  brother  asked  him  what  kind 
of  a  power  he  had  received,  and  he  told  him  that  it  was  a  great  power. 
The  boy  told  his  brother  to  show  him  what  kind  of  a  power  he  had, 
and  then  the  little  boy  began  making  a  loud  noise  that  sounded  like 
thunder  when  it  rains,  and  then  the  unknown  boy  let  his  tongue  out 
and  it  looked  like  a  flash  of  lightning. 

They  went  on  until  they  came  to  a  large  lake,  and  when  they  looked 
near  to  the  edge  of  the  water  they  saw  the  trace  where  the  wheel  had 
passed  into  the  water,  but  they  could  not  find  any  place  to  cross. 
They  sat  down  on  the  bank  of  the  lake  and  began  to  pray  again,  and 
the  boy  planted  another  pecan  nut,  and  soon  a  large  tree  sprang  up ; 
but  this  time  the  tree  did  not  grow  upward,  but  bent  over  across  the 
lake  to  the  opposite  bank,  and  so  made  a  bridge  for  them  to  cross  upon. 
They  went  across  the  lake,  and  when  they  got  across  they  saw  the 
trace  of  the  wheel,  and  a  little  way  from  the  landing  place  they  saw  a 
narrow  road  leading  toward  the  east,  and  a  little  way  from  the  end  of 
the  road  they  saw  that  the  trace  of  the  wheel  was  gone.  A  little  way 
from  there  they  saw  an  old  man  going  toward  the  lake,  and  then  the 


36  TRADITIONS   OP   THE   CADDO. 

boy  who  had  the  power  of  lightning  said  :  "  We  must  kill  this  man, 
because  we  know  he  is  a  bad  man  ;  he  is  a  cannibal."  When  they 
met  this  old  man  Lightning  boy  said  to  Thunder  boy  :  "This  is  the 
old  man  who  took  our  wheel,  and  he  has  it  with  him  now,  and  it  is  in 
his  right  side. ' '  They  killed  the  old  man  and  found  the  wheel  and 
took  it,  and  then  they  went  on  and  they  saw,  a  long  distance  from 
them,  a  smoke,  and  they  went  there  and  found  many  people.  The 
people  did  not  know  who  they  were  at  first ;  they  thought  they  were 
the  old  man,  for  this  old  man  whom  they  had  killed  was  their  head 
man  ;  and  so  these  two  brothers  killed  all  the  rest  of  the  people.  They 
began  to  look  all  around  and  finally  they  came  to  a  pile  of  human 
bones.  They  found  the  bones  of  the  wife  of  Medicine-Man.  Only 
one  little  finger  was  missing.  They  piled  the  bones  together  and  cov- 
ered them  with  the  buffalo  calf's  hide,  and  Lightning  boy  shot  the 
black  arrow  up,  and  when  they  heard  the  arrow  coming  down  they 
said  :  "Look  out,  mother,  the  black  arrow  is  coming  right  on  you. 
Get  out  of  the  way,"  and  the  woman  jumped  out  of  the  way.  The 
boys  greeted  their  mother,  and  then  they  all  started  back  for  their 
home,  and  when  they  came  near  to  their  home  Lightning  boy  said  that 
he  was  going  on  ahead.  The  other  boy  and  his  mother  came  on  behind. 
Lightning  boy  got  there  first  and  found  their  father  a  very  old  man, 
and  still  weeping  for  his  children.  The  yard  around  the  grass  house 
was  overgrown  with  tall  trees  and  weeds  and  grass,  for  the  old  man 
was  not  able  to  work  any  more.  Lightning  boy  told  him  that  his  son 
and  his  lost  wife  were  coming.  The  old  man  was  glad,  and  went  out 
to  meet  them.  They  all  lived  happily  for  a  number  of  years ;  then 
the  father  and  mother  died.  The  boys  were  lonely  then,  and  so  they 
decided  to  leave  this  world.  They  went  up  in  the  sky,  and  now  when 
the  clouds  gather  together  for  a  storm  Lightning  and  Thunder,  which 
are  these  two  boys  who  once  lived  on  the  earth  and  killed  the  monsters 
that  lived  here,  are  seen  in  their  midst. 

18.  SPLINTER  FOOT  BOY. 

An  orphan  boy  who  lived  alone  with  his  grandmother  was  a  famous 
hunter  and  often  went  out  on  a  long  hunt  with  his  friends.  One  time, 
while  they  were  a  long  way  from  home,  the  boy  was  wounded  by  a  stick 
that  pierced  his  leg  and  broke  off  inside  of  it.  His  leg  festered  and 
swelled  up  so  that  he  could  not  walk  and  his  friends  had  to  carry  him 
home.  His  leg  continued  to  swell  until  it  was  as  large  as  his  body  ;  then 
the  skin  broke,  but  instead  of  the  stick  coming  out,  a  child  came.  The 
boy  was  angry  and  would  not  look  at  the  child  or  have  anything  to  do 
with  it.  His  grandmother  took  pity  upon  the  baby  and  cared  for  it. 


SPLINTER    FOOT   BOY.  37 

One  day  while  she  was  away  the  boy  took  the  child  and  carried  it  to 
the  lake,  where  he  left  it  to  starve  or  be  eaten  by  the  wild  animals.  He 
was  afraid  to  return  to  his  grandmother's  home  for  fear  she  would  know 
that  he  had  thrown  his  child  away,  and  so  he  went  far  off  and  lived 
alone.  The  child  lay  on  the  shore  of  the  lake  for  a  long  time,  and  as  he 
lay  there  he  grew  to  be  a  good-sized  boy.  Finally  many  birds  flew  over 
the  lake,  and  when  they  were  about  half  way  across  the  lake,  the  water 
appeared  to  leap  up  to  the  sky  and  draw  the  birds  down.  Every  day 
the  boy  saw  the  water  leap  up  to  the  sky  whenever  any  birds  flew  past, 
and  one  time  he  saw  a  big  water  monster  in  the  water.  He  saw  the 
monster  draw  so  many  birds  into  the  water  that  he  was  afraid  it  would 
kill  all  the  birds  in  the  land,  and  he  wished  that  he  could  kill  it.  While 
he  was  thinking  about  a  way  to  kill  the  monster,  he  felt  some  one  hit 
him  on  the  back.  He  turned  around  and  there  behind  him  stood  a  boy 
about  his  own  age.  He  was  Medicine-Screech-Owl,  but  the  boy  did 
not  know  who  he  was  or  anything  about  him.  Medicine-Screech-Owl 
asked  the  boy  what  he  was  thinking  about,  and  the  boy  told  him  that 
he  was  thinking  how  he  could  kill  the  water  monster  that  ate  up  all  of 
the  birds.  Medicine-Screech-Owl  told  the  boy  that  he  would  help  him 
kill  the  monster.  He  showed  him  where  the  old  woman,  his  grand- 
mother lived,  and  then  he  told  him  to  go  to  her  house  and  get  six  arrows 
and  a  bow  and  six  grains  of  corn  from  six  kinds  of  corn  and  then  return 
to  the  lake. 

When  the  boy  went  to  the  old  woman's  house  she  was  surprised  and 
happy  to  see  him,  for  she  had  been  very  lonely  since  the  orphan  boy 
and  his  son  had  disappeared,  and  had  given  up  all  hope  of  ever  seeing 
them  again.  The  boy  told  her  what  he  wanted,  and  she  gave  him  all 
he  asked  for.  Then  he  returned  to  the  lake,  where  he  found  Medicine- 
Screech-Owl  waiting  for  him.  Medicine-Screech-Owl  took  three  grains 
of  each  of  the  six  kinds  of  corn  and  threw  them  into  the  air.  They 
became  birds  and  flew  out  across  the  water,  and  the  water  monster 
leaped  up  to  draw  them  down.  As  he  leaped  up  Medicine-Screech-Owl 
cried  to  the  boy  to  shoot  it.  He  shot  the  first  arrow,  but  it  did  not  go 
near  the  monster.  The  second  went  nearer,  and  so  did  the  third,  fourth, 
and  fifth,  and  the  sixth  pierced  it  through.  The  great  monster  rolled 
over  on  its  side  and  floated  on  the  water,  and  then  they  could  see  how 
large  it  was.  Medicine-Screech-Owl  said  that  it  was  the  largest  water 
monster  in  the  world.  He  told  the  boy  to  take  his  bow  and  pull  the 
animal  to  dry  land,  but  the  boy  knew  that  he  could  not  move  the  mon- 
ster with  his  little  bow,  and  so  did  not  try.  To  his  surprise  Medicine- 
Screech-Owl  took  his  bow,  that  was  even  smaller,  and  pulled  the  great 
monster  to  the  bank.  When  he  had  done  this  he  disappeared,  and  then 


38  TRADITIONS   OP   THE   CADDO. 

the  boy  went  back  to  his  grandmother's  house  and  told  her  about  the 
boy  he  had  met  at  the  lake  and  how  they  had  killed  the  big  water  mon- 
ster. The  old  woman  knew  that  the  boy's  companion  was  Medicine- 
Screech-Owl,  and  she  also  knew  that  he  had  given  the  boy  wonderful 
power,  though  she  said  nothing. 

The  next  day  the  boy  went  to  the  lake  again.  He  found  the  water 
very  low,  since  the  monster  had  been  pulled  out  of  the  lake,  and  it  was 
so  clear  that  he  could  see  many  fish  swimming  about.  He  dived  down 
to  catch  some  of  the  fish,  and  a  big  sword-fish  swam  up  to  him  and 
went  right  through  him.  The  boy,  though  severely  wounded,  did  not 
die,  but  shot  the  fish  with  his  bow  and  arrow.  The  next  day  he  again 
went  to  the  lake  to  fish,  but  found  that  all  the  water  had  gone.  In 
the  mud  he  saw  two  large  shells.  He  carried  them  home  and  cut  them 
so  that  he  could  put  them  over  the  holes  that  the  sword-fish  had  made 
when  it  cut  its  way  through  him.  He  wore  one  in  front  and  one  be- 
hind, so  that  no  one  could  see  the  wounds  that  the  fish  had  made. 
The  shells  had  the  power  to  hear  any  sound  in  the  whole  world,  and 
whenever  he  wanted  to  hear  anything  he  removed  the  shells  from  the 
holes  and  put  them  to  his  ears.  With  the  power  of  hearing  every 
sound  in  the  world  and  the  power  given  to  him  by  Medicine-Screech  - 
Owl,  he  became  a  great  medicine-man  and  the  people  began  to  fear  him 
and  planned  to  kill  him.  When  he  heard  that  they  were  going  to  kill 
him  he  told  his  grandmother  that  they  would  leave  the  people,  but 
that  he  would  do  them  harm  some  time  because  they  had  planned  to 
kill  him,  and  so  made  it  necessary  for  him  and  his  grandmother  to 
leave.  They  went  to  a  high  mountain  near  the  village,  and  made 
their  grass  house  on  the  very  top  of  it.  He  found  two  fierce  dogs  and 
placed  them  at  his  door  to  guard  the  house. 

The  boy  knew  who  the  people  were  who  had  planned  to  kill  him, 
because  he  had  heard  them  talking  by  means  of  his  wonderful  shells. 
Soon  they  died,  one  after  another,  until  the  people  of  the  village  began 
to  suspect  that  the  boy  was  bewitching  them  and  causing  them  to  die. 
Many  of  the  warriors  tried  to  steal  up  to  his  home  on  the  mountain 
and  kill  him,  but  with  the  magic  shells  he  could  always  hear  them 
coming,  and  would  set  the  dogs  on  them,  so  that  they  could  never 
approach. 

He  kept  on  bewitching  so  many  people  that  finally  Medici  ne-Screech- 
Owl  decided  that  he  would  have  to  interfere.  He  started  up  the  trail 
to  the  boy's  house,  but  first  he  blew  his  breath  so  hard  that  it  took  the 
magic  power  of  sound  from  the  shells,  so  that  the  boy  could  not  hear 
him  coming.  When  he  was  almost  at  the  top  of  the  mountain  he  blew 
his  breath  again  and  the  dogs  rolled  over  asleep,  and  when  he  passed 


SPLINTER    FOOT   BOY.  39 

them  they  were  so  sound  asleep  that  they  did  not  wake  up  and  bark  or 
give  any  warning  of  approach.  He  passed  the  dogs  ;  then  he  blew  his 
breath  again  and  the  old  woman  fell  over  asleep.  Again  he  blew  his 
breath,  and  the  boy  fell  down  asleep.  Medicine-Screech-Owl  then 
entered  the  house  and  took  the  shells  off  of  the  boy.  He  walked  around, 
looking  at  everything,  then  went  away.  When  he  was  almost  down 
the  mountain  he  blew  his  breath  and  the  boy  woke  up.  He  missed  his 
shells  at  once  and  began  to  look  everywhere  for  them.  He  called  his 
grandmother  to  come  and  help  him  look,  but  she  did  not  wake  up. 
Finally  he  shook  her  so  hard  that  he  shook  all  of  Medicine- Screech- 
Owl's  breath  out  of  her,  and  then  she  woke  up  and  helped  him  look 
for  his  shells.  He  went  outside  and  found  the  dogs  asleep  ;  then  he  knew 
that  some  one  had  been  to  his  house  and  stolen  his  shells.  He  called 
the  dogs,  but  could  not  wake  them,  and  so  he  took  a  club  and  knocked 
the  breath  out  of  them.  They  woke  up  and  at  once  scented  Medicine- 
Screech-Owl' s  tracks  and  started  after  him.  The  boy  followed,  and 
they  soon  came  to  a  big  circle  of  fire.  In  the  midst  of  the  burning  circle 
stood  Medicine-Screech-Owl,  and  he  was  wearing  the  shells.  The  boy 
had  no  power  that  would  take  him  through  fire,  and  so  he  had  to  return 
without  his  shells.  Medicine-Screech-Owl  kept  the  shells  for  some  time, 
and  then  he  took  them  back  to  the  boy,  but  before  he  gave  them  to  him 
he  made  him  promise  that  he  would  not  bewitch  the  people  any  more. 

19.   MEDICINE-SCREECH-OWL.  * 

Medicine-Screech-Owl  was  born  at  L,ong-Timber-on-the-Top-of-the- 
Hill.  His  father  and  mother  were  very  old  and  lived  near  the  center 
of  the  village.  When  his  first  birthday  came  he  was  given  bow  and 
arrows.  His  father  and  mother  were  asking  each  other  what  name 
they  should  give  to  their  child,  but  before  they  could  name  him  he 
spoke  and  said,  "  My  name  shall  be  Medicine-Screech-Owl."  His 
mother  scolded  him,  because  at  this  time  there  was  also  a  man  by  the 
name  of  Medicine-Screech-Owl,  and  he  was  an  ex-chief  ;  but  he  said 
that  he  would  have  no  other  name,  and  so  his  parents  named  him 
Medicine-Screech-Owl.  One  night  some  one  passed  near  the  village 
and  heard  the  child's  mother  calling  him  by  the  name  of  the  ex-chief. 
When  the  man  came  to  the  ex-chief's  place  he  told  him  that  the  child's 
name  was  the  same  as  his.  When  the  ex-chief  heard  this  he  was 
angry,  and  told  the  people  that  he  was  going  to  kill  the  boy  if  he  did 
not  do  as  he  should  tell  him  to  do.  He  sent  for  him,  and  when  the  boy 
came  to  his  lodge  he  gave  him  watermelon  seed  and  said  :  '  *  Go  back 
and  plant  this  watermelon  seed  this  evening.  In  the  morning  go  and 

*Told  by  White  House  (Caddo  Jack). 


4Q  TRADITIONS   OP   THE    CADDO. 

bring  to  me  a  great  big  watermelon  to  eat. "  "All  right, ' '  said  young 
Medicine  Screech-Owl.  He  took  the  seed,  went  back  to  his  village,  and 
told  his  father  and  mother  what  the  ex-chief  had  told  him  to  do.  That 
evening  the  boy  went  out  a  short  distance  from  his  lodge,  threw  the 
seeds  upon  the  ground,  and  there  sprang  up  a  large  watermelon  plant. 
He  then  went  back  to  the  lodge  and  told  his  father  and  mother  what 
had  happened.  Early  in  the  morning  he  went  out  to  his  watermelon 
vine,  and  he  found  many  large  watermelons  on  it.  He  took  one  of  the 
melons  to  the  ex-chief,  who  was  surprised,  and  he  thought  that  surely 
the  boy  was  going  to  be  a  wonderful  man.  He  was  so  jealous  of  him 
that  he  determined  to  destroy  him,  for  he  thought  that  if  he  did  not 
young  Medicine-Screech- Owl  would  get  ahead  of  him  in  every  way, 
and  that  the  people  would  no  longer  pay  him  any  attention.  The  boy 
went  back  to  his  village  and  told  his  father  and  mother  all  about  what 
had  happened.  The  ex-chief  sent  for  the  boy  the  second  time,  and  the 
boy  again  went  to  his  lodge.  The  ex-chief  had  brought  the  boy  a  large 
bull  to  milk.  He  told  him  to  take  the  bull  to  his  lodge  and  to  bring 
the  milk  over  the  next  morning.  The  boy  took  the  bull  over  to  his 
village,  but  instead  of  milking  it  when  morning  came  he  took  an  axe 
and  went  out  near  the  ex-chief's  lodge  to  chop  some  wood,  and  when 
the  ex-chief  saw  him  chopping  wood  he  went  to  him  and  asked  him  if 
he  had  already  milked  the  bull.  The  boy  told  the  ex-chief  that  he 
had  not  milked  the  bull,  but  that  he  was  in  a  hurry  to  cut  some  wood 
to  take  home.  The  ex-chief  asked  him  why  he  was  taking  the  wood 
home.  "  Well,"  said  the  boy,  "  my  father  is  going  to  have  a  child." 
The  ex-chief  laughed  at  the  boy  and  asked  him  if  he  ever  had  seen  a 
man  have  a  child.  The  boy  said,  "No;  I  never  have."  Then  he 
asked  the  ex-chief  if  he  ever  had  seen  a  man  milk  a  bull  or  a  bull  give 
milk.  The  ex-chief  was  very  angry.  The  boy  returned  to  his  lodge 
and  told  his  father  and  mother  what  had  happened.  The  third  time 
the  ex-chief  sent  to  have  the  boy  come  over  to  his  lodge,  informing  him 
that  he  and  some  of  his  friends  were  going  to  have  a  fine  time  and  a 
big  dinner.  In  the  meantime  the  ex-chief  and  the  others  were  digging 
a  big  hole  in  the  ground,  in  which  they  were  going  to  throw  the  boy. 
They  dug  the  hole  about  fifty  feet  deep  and  about  four  feet  in  diameter 
and  covered  it  with  a  buffalo  robe.  When  the  boy  came  the  ex-chief 
told  him  that  he  had  already  fixed  a  place  for  him  to  sit.  Young  Medi- 
cine-Screech-Owl  never  left  his  bow  and  arrows,  but  always  had  them 
with  him  everywhere  he  went.  When  he  entered  the  ex-chief's  lodge 
they  told  him  to  be  seated.  He  laid  down  his  arrows  and  bow  and  went 
and  sat  down  on  the  hide,  and  down  he  went  into  the  hole.  The  ex- 
chief  was  very  glad,  for  he  thought  surely  he  had  killed  the  boy.  He 


MEDICINE-SCREECH-OWL.  41 

commenced  filling  the  hole  with  heavy  stones  and  dirt  until  he  supposed 
that  the  boy  was  dead. 

One  evening  the  same  person,  who  had  passed  the  lodge  and  heard 
the  boy's  mother  calling  him  by  the  ex-chief's  name,  passed  again,  and 
again  heard  her  calling  the  same  name,  and  he  heard  young  Medicine- 
Screech-Owl  answering  her.  The  man  went  to  the  ex-chief's  lodge  and 
told  him  that  the  boy  was  still  living,  because  While  he  was  passing  by 
his  lodge  he  had  heard  his  mother  calling  him  and  had  heard  him 
answering.  When  the  ex-chief  heard  this  he  became  very  angry,  and 
said  that  he  was  going  to  try  once  more,  and  if  he  failed  to  kill  the  boy 
this  time  he  would  leave  him  alone.  He  sent  for  the  boy  the  fourth 
time.  He  came,  and  found  that  they  had  built  up  a  big  fire.  The 
ex-chief  told  the  boy  to  go  right  into  the  middle  of  the  fire  and  sit 
down,  for  he  wanted  to  see  if  he  had  any  powers  at  all ;  that  if  he  had 
any  powers  he  would  not  burn  up.  The  boy  went  into  the  midst  of 
the  fire  and  sat  down  for  a  long  time,  until  the  fire  burned  out ;  then 
he  arose  unharmed.  When  he  had  come  out  of  the  fire  he  made  another 
big  fire  and  told  the  ex-chief  that  it  was  his  turn  to  go  into  the  fire,  to 
show  whether  or  not  he  had  any  power.  The  ex-chief  went  in  and 
the  fire  burned  him  to  death. 

From  that  time  on  the  boy  would  go  from  place  to  place.  Finally 
he  grew  to  be  almost  a  man  in  size.  Many  times  he  would  run  away 
from  his  father  and  mother,  and  when  he  returned  his  mother  would 
scold  him.  Still  he  continued  to  go  off  wherever  he  pleased.  The 
reason  why  his  mother  scolded  him  so  much  when  he  went  anywhere 
was  because  she  knew  that  there  were  many  people  who  were  envious 
of  his  power  and  would  try  to  kill  him ;  but  the  boy  did  not  care  for 
that.  There  was  one  place  where  three  of  his  enemies  were  living, 
who  were  always  talking  about  killing  him.  Medicine-Screech-Owl 
heard  these  men  talking  about  him,  and  so  one  day  he  determined  to 
visit  them.  He  quietly  stole  away  from  his  father  and  mother,  for  he 
dared  not  say  anything  to  them  about  going,  for  fear  they  would  not 
let  him  go.  When  he  came  to  the  place  he  found  the  three  men  at 
home,  and  when  they  saw  him  coming  they  all  came  out  from  their 
lodge  and  were  very  glad  to  see  him,  for  they  had  been  wishing  for  a 
long  time  that  he  would  come.  They  asked  him  where  he  was  going. 
He  replied  that  he  had  come  over  for  a  visit  to  his  friends.  They  asked 
him  to  go  into  the  lodge.  Young  Medicine-Screech-Owl  knew  that  he 
was  to  go  in  first,  and  that  all  the  others  would  come  in  and  attempt 
to  kill  him.  The  door  they  had  to  enter  was  very  small,  although  big 
enough  for  one  man  at  a  time  to  enter.  When  Medicine-Screech-Owl 
had  entered  he  stood  by  the  door  and  waited  for  the  others  to  come  in. 
40 


42  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

His  only  chance  was  to  kill  them.  He  stood  by  the  door  waiting  and 
ready  to  strike  the  first  to  enter.  As  the  first  man  entered,  he  struck 
him  on  the  head  and  killed  him,  then  pulled  him  in  just  as  quickly  as 
he  could,  to  make  it  appear  that  the  man  had  entered  without  anything 
happening.  Thus  he  killed  the  second  and  the  third  man.  Then  he 
returned  home  and  told  his  mother  and  father  all  that  had  happened. 
Another  time  there  was  a  man  called  Snow-and-Cold,  living  with  his 
family  far  away  in  the  north.  When  anybody  went  over  there  on  a 
visit  and  happened  to  stay  over  night,  he  would  be  frozen  before 
morning.  Medicine-Screech-Owl  heard  all  about  this  man  and  made 
up  his  mind  to  go  and  visit  him  and  his  family.  One  day  he  started 
out.  It  took  him  a  long  time  to  reach  the  place,  for  he  had  to  go 
across  a  large  lake.  When  he  came  to  the  water  he  stood  on  the  edge 
of  the  bank.  He  wore  on  his  head  an  eagle  feather,  and  he  took  the 
eagle  feather  off  from  his  head  and  placed  it  on  the  water  and  placed 
himself  on  the  eagle  feather.  The  feather  began  to  sail  across  the 
water.  On  the  other  side  of  the  water  were  many  geese,  and  when 
any  one  came  across  the  water  the  geese  would  make  so  much  noise 
that  the  people  at  the  home  of  Snow-and-Cold  would  know  at  once 
that  somebody  was  coming.  When  young  Medicine-Screech-Owl  went 
across  to  visit  old  man  Snow-and-Cold  the  geese  did  not  see  him  when 
he  landed  on  the  other  side.  He  stepped  off  from  his  eagle  feather 
and  placed  it  on  his  head  again  and  walked  straight  to  the  place  where 
Snow-and-Cold  lived.  All  this  time  nobody  had  seen  him.  Medicine- 
Screech-Owl  went  into  the  lodge  where  Snow-and-Cold  was  and  found 
him  lying  down,  asleep.  Medicine-Screech-Owl  spoke  to  him  and 
asked  him  how  he  was  getting  along.  When  Snow-and-Cold  awoke  he 
looked  around,  but  could  see  no  one.  Again  Medicine-Screech-Owl 
spoke  to  him,  and  this  time  Snow-and-Cold  arose  from  his  bed  and 
began  to  look  around.  He  could  find  no  one  in  the  room.  When  he 
started  to  lie  down  again  Medicine-Screech-Owl  spoke  to  him  and 
showed  himself.  Snow-and-Cold  was  surprised  to  see  Medicine-Screech- 
Owl  there  and  asked  him  what  he  wanted.  Medicine-Screech-Owl  re- 
plied that  he  had  come  over  on  a  visit,  because  he  had  heard  so  much 
of  the  place.  When  evening  came  Snow-  and- Cold  told  the  boy  to  sleep 
right  there,  in  a  bed  which  had  nothing  but  snow  on  it.  After  they 
had  gone  to  bed  Snow-and-Cold  did  not  go  to  sleep,  but  kept  watching 
the  boy,  for  he  thought  he  would  surely  freeze  to  death  in  a  little 
while  ;  but  every  time  Snow-and-Cold  looked  over  to  see  him  he  would 
see  a  light  right  next  to  his  head.  He  wondered  what  it  could  be. 
Medicine-Screech-Owl  had  his  feather  sticking  straight  up  on  his  pillow 
during  the  night.  Snow-and-Cold  arose,  reached  for  the  cane  which 
he  had  placed  at  the  foot  of  his  bed  next  to  a  place  that  seemed  like  a 


MEDICINE-SCREECH-OWL.  43 

fireplace.  Medicine-Screech-Owl  watched  him  all  this  time,  but  he  did 
not  know  that  he  was  being  watched.  Snow-and-Cold  took  the  cane 
and  punched  the  snow  where  it  seemed  like  a  fireplace,  and  the  fire 
sprang  out  from  the  snow.  When  he  had  warmed  himself  he  covered 
the  fire  and  went  back  to  his  bed.  Soon  he  saw  Medicine-Screech-Owl 
get  out  of  his  bed,  go  for  the  cane,  and  punch  the  place,  and  out  came 
the  fire.  When  Medicine-Screech-Owl  was  through  warming  himself 
he  walked  back  to  his  bed.  Snow-and-Cold  did  not  know  what  to 
think  of  Medicine-Screech-Owl.  The  next  morning  Snow-and-Cold 
called  to  Medicine-Screech-Owl  to  get  up  from  his  bed.  He  thought 
he  had  been  frozen  to  death,  but  the  boy  jumped  up  and  said  that  he 
had  had  a  fine  sleep.  After  he  was  through  talking  to  Snow-and-Cold 
he  said  he  would  have  to  go  back  home ;  that  his  mother  would  not 
like  it  if  he  should  stay  out  another  day.  He  started  back,  and  when 
he  reached  home  he  told  his  mother  all  about  it. 

20.   MEDICINE-SCREECH-OWL.* 

In  a  village  there  lived  an  old  man,  his  wife,  and  one  child,  a  beautiful 
girl.  The  girl  had  never  been  known  to  have  a  male  acquaintance,  and 
was  always  modest  and  well-beloved.  Nevertheless,  in  some  way  she 
became  pregnant.  Her  father  and  mother  noticed  this  and  called  her 
attention  to  the  fact,  and  asked  her  how  it  had  happened  and  who  was 
the  father  of  the  child.  In  those  days  it  was  the  custom  to  find  out  all 
about  such  matters.  The  girl  herself  did  not  know  how  she  had  come 
to  be  in  that  condition  and  could  not  answer  their  questions.  Her 
people  were  angry  at  her  and  much  ashamed,  but  could  not  get  her 
to  answer  any  of  their  questions.  She  went  as  usual  with  the  girls  of 
the  village  to  dig  potatoes,  but  she  could  never  find  any  and  always 
returned  without  any.  One  time,  after  her  mother  had  scolded  her  for 
never  bringing  home  any  potatoes,  she  was  wandering  slowly  about 
trying  to  find  some  when  she  heard  a  voice  cry,  ' '  Mother. ' '  She  looked 
about,  but  could  see  no  one.  Again  she  heard  the  cry,  and  then  she 
knew  that  it  was  the  child  in  her  womb  that  was  crying.  The  voice 
told  her  to  go  to  a  certain  place  and  dig.  She  obeyed  and  found  many 
large  potatoes.  When  the  other  girls  saw  them  they  wondered,  for 
they  knew  that  she  was  never  successful  in  finding  them. 

The  child  was  born  and,  at  his  own  request,  was  called  Medicine- 
Screech-Owl.  The  mother  and  child  lived  apart  from  the  others  and 
were  very  poor  and  often  hungry,  for  they  had  no  one  to  hunt  food  for 
them,  and  all  they  had  to  eat  was  what  people  gave  to  them.  The 
child  grew  rapidly  and  was  soon  large  enough  to  play  with  the  other 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


44  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

little  boys.  There  was  a  lake  near  the  village  where  the  men  fished, 
and  the  children  were  accustomed  to  go  to  the  lake  and  watch  them. 
One  time  Medicine-Screech-Owl  asked  his  mother  if  he  could  not  fish 
too.  She  only  laughed  at  him  and  told  him  that  he  was  too  little ; 
but  he  begged  so  hard  that  she  finally  said  he  might  go  and  try. 
He  went,  taking  his  little  bow  and  arrows,  and  soon  returned  with  a 
big  fish.  His  mother  was  greatly  surprised  and  gave  her  consent  for 
him  to  go  the  next  day.  Again  he  came  home  with  a  big  fish,  and 
again  and  again,  until  his  fame  as  a  fisherman  spread  throughout  the 
village. 

There  were  many  who  did  not  like  the  boy  because  they  did  not  know 
who  his  father  was,  and  when  they  heard  about  his  success  they  began 
to  fear  him  and  decided  to  kill  him.  There  was  among  the  people  a 
powerful  Medicine- Man,  and  they  asked  him  to  use  his  powers  against 
the  boy  and  kill  him. 

One  day,  while  the  boy  was  at  the  lake  fishing,  he  saw  the  reflection 
of  a  big,  black  cloud  in  the  water.  He  knew  that  the  Medicine- Man 
was  sending  Thunder  to  try  to  kill  him,  but  he  did  not  fear.  He  walked 
into  the  water  until  it  was  up  to  his  knees.  Then  came  a  peal  of  thunder 
and  a  shaft  of  lightning.  He  raised  his  bow  over  his  head  and  the  light- 
ning rolled  from  it  into  the  water.  Again  and  again  the  lightning  shafts 
struck  at  him,  but  every  time  he  caught  them  on  his  bow  and  hurled 
them  into  the  water.  At  last  the  Medicine- Man  realized  that  the  boy 
had  more  power  over  Thunder  than  he  had,  and  so  he  gave  up.  That 
evening  the  boy  returned  home  with  a  big  fish  and  told  his  mother  what 
had  happened. 

Nothing  more  happened  for  a  long  time,  but  one  day  while  the  boy 
was  lying  in  his  lodge  resting  it  occurred  to  him  that  something  was 
going  to  happen  to  him.  He  arose  from  his  bed, took  his  bow  and  arrows, 
went  back  to  his  bed,  lay  down  and  began  to  sing.  Soon  he  heard  a 
great  noise,  and  he  knew  that  the  Medicine- Man  was  sending  Cannibal 
monster  to  destroy  him.  He  heard  the  monster' s  roar,  that  sounded  like 
thunder,  but  he  lay  still  and  sang  as  though  he  had  nothing  to  fear. 
As  the  monster  came  nearer  he  could  feel  its  hot  breath,  but  he  did  not 
move  until  it  leaped  upon  his  lodge  and  fell  through  with  an  awful 
crash.  Then  he  arose  and  killed  it. 

After  that  Medicine-Screech-Owl  started  out  to  travel,  and  he  went 
from  place  to  place,  killing  monsters  and  ferocious  animals  and  healing 
the  sick.  Where  he  was,  death  could  not  come,  and  so  powerful  was 
his  touch  that  people  were  healed  if  he  placed  his  hand  on  the  diseased 
place.  Finally,  after  he  had  been  with  the  people  for  a  long  time,  he 
called  them  together  and  told  them  that  he  was  going  to  leave  them. 
He  disappeared  and  has  not  been  seen  since. 


THK    ORPHAN    BOY   WHO   BECAME   A   WRESTLER.  45 

21.  THE  ORPHAN  BOY  WHO  BECAME  A  WRESTLER* 

A  boy  lived  alone  with  his  old  grandfather.  His  mother  and  father 
died  when  he  was  only  a  baby,  and  there  was  no  one  to  care  for  him 
but  his  grandfather.  They  lived  together,  and  the  old  man  cared  for 
the  child  as  best  he  could  until  he  had  become  old  enough  to  play 
around.  The  grandfather  was  looking  forward  to  the  time  when  he 
could  make  bows  and  arrows  for  the  boy  and  teach  him  to  hunt,  but 
before  that  time  came  the  old  man  died  and  the  boy  was  left  alone. 
He  went  from  lodge  to  lodge  and  begged,  and  whatever  the  people 
gave  him  he  ate  and  was  grateful.  At  night  he  returned  to  his  lonely 
lodge  and  cried,  for  he  was  poor  and  alone  and  afraid.  The  boys  of 
the  village  came  to  his  lodge  to  see  him,  and  they  teased  him  and 
laughed  at  him  because  he  was  sad  and  did  not  know  how  to  play  as 
they  did.  He  was  brave  and  did  not  lose  courage.  When  he  was 
larger  he  made  himself  a  bow  and  some  arrows  and  went  out  to  hunt. 
He  brought  back  small  game  at  first  and  was  happy,  because  he  no 
longer  had  to  beg. 

One  time  when  he  was  out  alone  far  in  the  timber  he  heard  a  voice 
singing  and  calling  to  him  to  wait.  He  waited  and  a  strange  boy  came 
running  through  the  bushes.  The  stranger  was  homely,  but  so  full  of 
fun  and  energy  that  the  poor  orphan  boy  determined  to  make  him  his 
friend.  They  played  together,  and  finally  they  tried  to  see  which  was 
the  stronger.  The  stranger  looked  much  stronger  than  the  orphan, 
but,  to  his  surprise,  he  found  that  he  could  easily  throw  him.  The 
orphan  boy  could  not  understand  how  he  could  throw  the  strong- 
looking  boy  so  easily,  for  all  the  boys  in  the  village  made  fun  of  him 
because  they  could  so  easily  throw  him.  The  strange  boy  arose  and 
smiled  and  said  :  "I  have  given  you  my  power.  I  am  a  wonderfully 
strong  man.  I  have  given  that  power  to  you.  Now  you  can  go  back 
to  your  village  and  throw  any  one  you  please.  I  have  been  watching 
you  and  seeing  how  the  boys  teased  you.  I  have  decided  to  give  you 
power.  Now  you  are  one  of  the  strongest  men  in  the  world  and  can 
throw  any  one. ' ' 

The  stranger  disappeared.  The  boy  lay  down  to  rest,  for  it  had 
grown  dark  and  he  could  not  find  his  way  home.  The  sun  arose  and 
the  boy  waked  and  started  on  to  hunt.  He  killed  three  deer  and  started 
home  with  them.  His  load  was  heavy  and  he  could  not  go  fast.  When 
he  was  far  from  home  darkness  came  again.  He  lay  down  on  some  soft 
grass  to  rest  until  daylight.  Soon  he  heard  a  voice,  and  looking  up  he 
saw  the  same  stranger  who  had  appeared  to  him  the  night  before.  The 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


46  TRADITIONS   OF  THE   CADDO. 

stranger  asked  the  boy  if  he  would  not  go  to  the  meeting  place  where 
he  and  all  his  friends  met  to  wrestle.  The  boy  said  that  he  would  go. 
Thestranger  helped  him  carry  his  meat,  and  soon  they  were  at  the  place. 
There  were  many  boys  and  men  there.  One  stepped  forward  and  asked 
the  orphan  boy  to  wrestle  with  him.  The  boy  easily  threw  him.  A 
second,  third,  fourth,  and  fifth  came  forward,  and  he  threw  one  after 
another.  Then  the  strong  men  began  to  fear  the  boy,  and  they  all  went 
away  and  left  him  alone  with  only  the  one  who  had  given  him  the  power. 
While  they  sat  down  to  rest,  the  strong  man  told  the  boy  more  things 
about  the  wonderful  power  he  had  given  him  and  how  to  use  it.  When 
the  sun  arose  the  strong  man  disappeared  and  the  boy  took  up  his 
meat  and  returned  home.  He  had  been  home  but  a  few  days  when  it 
was  noised  about  the  village  that  the  boys  were  going  to  have  some 
wrestling  matches.  He  went  to  watch  the  wrestling,  but  stood  far  out 
from  the  ring  among  the  spectators.  Soon  a  young  man  from  the  ring 
called  him  to  come  in,  if  he  were  not  a  coward.  He  only  shook  his  head. 
Again  the  young  man  called,  not  thinking  that  he  would  come,  but  only 
to  tease  him.  The  boy  at  once  threw  off  his  blanket  and  ran  into  the 
ring.  In  a  short  time  he  threw  the  man  and  killed  him.  Then  he 
asked  for  another  to  come  and  fight  with  him.  None  came.  All  were 
afraid  of  his  great  strength.  The  report  of  his  deeds  soon  spread  among 
the  people,  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  had  the  respect  and  fear  of  all. 

22.  THE  DANGEROUS  WATER  MONSTER.* 

When  the  world  was  new  and  not  well  known  it  was  a  dangerous 
place  to  live  in.  One  time  when  there  were  many  people  camping 
near  a  small  creek  one  of  the  men  went  down  to  the  creek  to  get 
water.  After  he  had  finished  drinking  he  looked  into  the  water  and 
saw  a  large  animal  that  looked  like  a  snake.  It  was  slowly  moving 
up  the  creek  and  he  saw  that  it  was  very  long.  He  ran  up  the  creek 
to  see  how  long  it  was,  and  he  ran  about  two  miles  before  he  came 
to  its  head.  Then  he  started  for  the  camp,  and  when  he  arrived 
he  went  to  his  grandfather,  who  was  always  at  home,  because  he  was 
a  very  old  man  and  could  not  hunt  with  the  others.  He  told  him 
what  he  had  seen,  and  when  he  finished  telling  him  the  grandfather 
said :  "  You  have  seen  some  wonderful  thing,  my  son,  that  has  been 
sent  as  a  sign  to  our  people."  He  did  not  know  what  the  sign  was 
and  so  he  called  for  the  errand  man,  and  when  he  came  the  old  man 
told  him  to  call  all  the  people  together  at  his  lodge,  for  he  had  something 
to  tell  them.  When  the  people  came  in  he  at  once  told  them  about 
what  his  grandson  had  seen.  Some  of  the  men  would  not  believe  him, 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


THE    DANGEROUS   WATER   MONSTER.  47 

but  most  of  them  went  down  to  the  creek  and  there  saw  the  water 
monster  and  knew  that  the  man  had  told  the  truth.  They  all  wondered 
why  it  had  come  and  whether  it  was  a  good  or  evil  omen.  The  old 
men  tried  to  recall  the  past,  to  find  out  if  the  people  had  ever  had  a 
similar  sign  sent  to  them,  but  could  not  remember  any.  There  was 
one  man  in  the  camp  who  was  old  and  blind,  and  he  knew  many  won- 
derful things  ;  and  so  the  people  went  for  him,  and  when  he  came  the 
chief  asked  him  if  he  knew  what  the  appearance  of  the  water  monster 
meant.  The  old  man  sat  there  for  a  while  without  a  word,  and  every 
one  was  very  quiet.  "  Well,"  he  said,  finally,  "  the  sign  is  a  very  bad 
one,  for  it  signifies  that  the  waters  shall  rise  in  a  short  time."  It  was 
not  long  until  the  waters  rose  and  formed  a  large  lake.  The  lake  was 
very  dangerous.  When  one  crossed  it  he  had  to  cross  without  saying 
a  word  to  any  one. 

One  time  there  were  four  men  who  went  out  hunting  on  the  other 
side  of  the  lake,  and  after  they  had  killed  much  game  they  started  back 
again.  They  crossed  the  lake  without  making  any  noise  and  were  within 
a  short  distance  of  the  opposite  shore  when  one  man,  who  was  very 
brave,  thought  he  would  see  what  the  water  would  do  to  them  if  he 
spoke.  He  began  to  talk  very  loud,  and  in  a  little  while  the  water  rose 
up  in  a  cloud  over  their  heads  and  they  were  all  drowned  but  the  one 
man  who  had  told  that  the  water  was  very  dangerous  and  warned  the 
man  not  to  talk.  He  went  home  empty-handed,  for  his  bow  and  arrows 
had  been  washed  away.  He  called  some  other  men  together  and  told 
them  what  had  happened  and  asked  them  to  go  with  him  to  search 
for  the  bodies  of  the  men.  Two  of  the  bodies  were  found,  but  the  body 
of  the  man  who  made  the  noise  could  not  be  found. 

23.  SLAYING  THE  MONSTERS  BY  FIRE.* 

In  the  olden  time  the  world  was  full  of  all  kinds  of  wild  animals  who 
ate  people  and  tame  animals.  In  those  times  Coyote  called  all  the  people 
together  to  a  council  to  see  what  could  be  done  with  the  wild  animals, 
because  they  were  getting  so  bad  that  the  people  could  not  go  away 
from  their  homes  to  hunt  food  or  to  visit  each  other.  At  the  council 
they  decided  to  set  fire  to  all  the  grass,  which  was  as  high  as  trees,  and 
so  burn  the  wild  animals  and  everything  on  the  earth.  They  chose 
White- Headed-Hawk  and  Crow,  because  they  were  the  swiftest  of  all 
the  people,  to  fly  to  some  bright  Star  and  tell  the  Star  that  they  were 
coming  to  his  home  to  live.  The  Star  told  them  that  there  was  room 
for  the  people  in  the  heavens  if  they  could  get  up  there.  The  messen- 
gers returned  and  reported  to  the  people.  They  decided  to  make  a  long 

*  Told  by  White- Bread. 


48  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

rope  out  of  soapweed  and  go  to  heaven  on  that.  They  began  to  gather 
the  soapweed  and  twist  it  into  a  strong  rope.  The  rope  was  finished  ; 
then  White-Headed-Hawk  and  Crow  took  it  and  again  flew  to  the 
heavens.  They  gave  the  end  of  the  rope  to  the  Star,  who  put  one  end 
of  it  under  a  big  stone  and  let  it  hang  down.  It  was  so  long  that  it 
reached  the  earth,  and  the  people  saw  it  hanging  ready  for  them  to 
crawl  up  when  the  time  came.  They  appointed  two  men,  Gray  and 
Black  Snakes,  to  carry  the  fire  over  the  world.  One  was  to  carry  the 
fire  to  the  east,  then  to  the  south  ;  the  other  was  to  carry  it  to  the  west, 
then  to  the  north.  Soon  the  people  noticed  a  cloud  of  smoke,  and  then 
the  sun  began  to  fade  and  look  dim,  and  a  great  noise  of  all  the  wild 
animals  arose.  The  people  saw  the  fire  coming  nearer,  and  so  they 
began  to  climb  the  rope.  After  all  the  people  were  on  the  rope  and  had 
climbed  up  a  little  way  the  wild  animals  came  and  began  to  climb  up. 
The  people  saw  the  animals  coming  up,  and  so  they  appointed  Bat  to 
cut  the  rope  just  above  the  wild  animals,  and  they  gave  him  sharp  teeth 
to  cut  the  rope  with.  Bat  began  to  fly  around  as  though  looking  for  a 
place  on  the  rope  to  stay.  Finally  he  asked  the  first  wild  animal  to  let 
him  in  by  him,  and  he  did.  After  a  while  the  animal  noticed  that  Bat 
was  eating  something,  and  he  asked  him  what  it  was,  and  Bat  said  that 
he  was  eating  a  parched  grain  of  corn  that  his  grandmother  had  given 
him.  He  kept  on  chewing  the  rope  when  the  animal  was  not  looking, 
and  finally  the  rope  broke  and  let  all  of  the  wild  animals  down  and 
many  were  killed.  Bat  went  down  to  make  sure  that  all  were  killed 
or  burned.  He  saw  an  immense  animal  on  the  ground  and  all  the  other 
animals  crawling  into  it  to  escape  the  fire.  Bat  went  into  the  animal's 
nose  and  pulled  out  some  hairs.  This  made  the  animal  sneeze  and  blow 
all  of  the  other  animals  out  and  they  burned  to  death.  Bat  flew  up  to 
tell  the  people  that  all  the  wild  bad  animals  were  killed,  and  so  they  all 
came  down  the  rope  again. 

24.  SLAYING  THE  MONSTERS  BY  FIRE  * 

In  the  beginning  of  the  world  there  were  animals  that  lived  with 
human  beings  and  were  kind  and  friendly,  but  there  were  other  animals 
that  were  very  strong  and  dangerous.  At  that  time,  when  the  earth 
was  new,  the  grass  was  taller  than  the  highest  trees  are  now,  and  many 
wild  animals  prowled  through  the  high  grass,  and  that  was  the  reason 
why  the  world  was  so  very  dangerous.  One  time  the  people  met  in 
council  to  make  plans  to  kill  all  the  dangerous  animals  in  the  world, 
and  Morning  Star,  who  was  one  of  the  head  men  in  the  council,  arose 
and  said:  "There  is  only  one  way  to  kill  these  animals  and  that  is  to 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


SLAYING   THE   MONSTERS    BY   FIRE.  49 

burn  the  grass  all  over  the  world.     I  know  how  large  the  world  is  and 
what  a  big  task  we  have,  but  we  must  do  it." 

As  every  one  was  willing  to  try  Morning  Star's  plan,  he  told  a  man 
who  was  present  at  the  council  that  most  of  the  work  would  fall  to  him, 
but  that  he  would  appoint  two  men  to  help  him  carry  out  the  work. 
The  man's  name  was  Fire,  and  the  first  man  appointed  to  help  Fire  was 
the  fastest  runner  in  the  world,  and  his  name  was  Black  Snake  ;  the 
second  man  was  the  slowest  in  the  world,  and  his  name  was  Skunk. 
Fire  took  hold  of  Black  Snake's  tail  and  put  fire  on  the  end  of  it,  and 
then  took  hold  of  Skunk's  hind  foot  and  placed  fire  between  his  toes. 
They  both  started  out  at  the  same  time,  the  one  going  to  the  north, 
the  other  around  to  the  south,  so  as  to  meet  somewhere  in  the  west, 
since  they  started  in  the  east.  While  these  two  were  on  their  way  the 
people  decided  to  make  a  long  rope  out  of  soapweeds  that  would  reach 
up  to  the  sky.  Everybody  helped  make  the  rope,  and  as  they  worked 
Pigeon  would  go  up  into  the  blue  sky  to  see  how  near  the  fire  had 
approached.  After  a  time  the  people  could  see  that  the  sky  was  getting 
very  dark  on  account  of  the  smoke  from  the  fire,  and  so  they  worked 
hard  and  fast  to  get  their  rope  long  enough.  Finally  they  had  the 
rope  finished,  and  they  appointed  Crow  to  take  it  up  to  the  sky.  Crow 
took  the  rope  and  flew  and  flew  until  he  was  out  of  sight,  and  it  was  a 
long  time  before  he  returned,  but  when  he  came  he  assured  the  people 
that  he  had  the  rope  firmly  fastened  to  the  sky.  The  fire  was  approach- 
ing rapidly,  and  so  the  people  began  climbing  up  the  rope.  After  the 
people  had  climbed  up,  all  kinds  of  animals  came  and  began  to  get 
hold  of  the  rope,  and  all  the  bad  animals  came,  and  then  the  rope 
began  to  move  upward.  After  the  people  were  high  up  they  sent  a 
man  down  the  rope  as  far  as  the  first  bad  animal.  This  man's  name 
was  Bat,  and  because  he  had  very  sharp  teeth  he  was  sent  to  cut  the 
rope.  The  animal  saw  him  chewing  something  and  asked  him  what 
he  was  eating.  Bat  said  that  his  grandmother  had  parched  some  corn 
for  him  and  that  he  was  eating  it.  He  kept  on  cutting  the  rope,  and 
finally  it  broke  and  let  the  bad  animals  fall  down.  When  the  animals 
dropped  down  to  the  ground  Bat  followed  them  down  to  see  what 
would  become  of  them.  He  saw  a  large  animal  and  heard  it  call 
all  the  other  animals  to  enter  his  body  through  his  nose,  ears,  and 
mouth.  These  animals  went  in,  and  so  large  was  the  big  animal  that 
it  had  room  inside  of  it  for  all  the  bad  animals.  After  all  the  others 
were  in,  Bat  slipped  in  and  began  to  pull  out  some  hair  from  the 
animal's  nose.  That  made  the  animal  sneeze,  and  he  sneezed  so  hard 
that  he  threw  all  the  other  animals  out  through  his  nose.  The  animals 
were  scattered  every  place  and  burned,  for  the  fire  was  upon  them. 


50  TRADITIONS   OF  THE   CADDO. 

Bat  flew  up  where  the  people  were,  but  he  was  scorched  a  little  before 
he  could  get  there,  and  that  is  the  reason  bats  are  yellowish  in  color. 
After  the  bad  animals  had  all  been  burned  the  people  returned  to  the 
world  again,  and  ever  since  the  world  has  been  a  good  place  to  live 
upon. 

25.  HOW  THE  BUFFALO  CEASED  TO  EAT  HUMAN  BEINGS* 

When  the  world  was  new  there  were  many  wild  and  fierce  animals, 
and  the  buffalo  were  among  the  fiercest,  for  they  ate  human  beings. 
In  those  days  the  buffalo  were  many-colored  and  roamed  the  plains  in 
great  herds,  and  were  so  numerous  that  men  could  not  go  out  on  the 
plains  alone  for  fear  of  being  caught  by  them.  There  was  one  great 
man  who  received  power  from  the  Father,  and  he  had  the  power  to  go 
right  into  the  midst  of  these  terrible  animals  and  kill  them  without 
being  hurt.  That  man  was  Buzzard,  and  he  was  the  only  man  who 
possessed  such  power.  All  the  other  people  had  to  live  in  villages 
together  that  they  might  protect  each  other  and  hunt  together.  One 
time  some  men  went  out  in  the  timber  alone  to  hunt  turkey  and  deer. 
They  wandered  far,  and  when  they  started  home  they  found  that  they 
had  to  cross  a  long  stretch  of  lonely  prairie.  While  they  were  hurry- 
ing across  the  vast  stretch  of  country  they  saw  a  black  cloud  arise  in 
the  west  and  come  nearer  and  nearer,  until  at  last  they  knew  that  a 
great  herd  of  buffalo  was  sweeping  down  upon  them.  They  threw  the 
game  from  their  backs,  threw  away  their  bows  and  arrows,  and  ran  as 
fast  as  the  wind.  The  buffalo,  dangerous  as  they  were,  were  not  good 
runners,  and  so  the  men  reached  the  timber  before  them  and  ran  into 
the  dense  thicket. 

After  these  men  succeeded  in  escaping,  the  people  took  courage  and 
ventured  farther  away  from  home.  One  time  four  men  went  out  to 
hunt  bear.  They  went  into  the  timber  that  lay  between  two  moun- 
tains and  there  they  found  the  fresh  tracks  of  a  bear.  They  trailed  it 
all  through  the  timber  and  over  the  mountain,  and  found  it  at  the  edge 
of  the  timber  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  The  bear  ran  out  to  the 
open  plain  and  the  men  pursued  and  killed  it.  While  they  were  cut- 
ting it  up  to  carry  home  they  heard  a  great  noise,  like  thunder,  coming 
across  the  plains.  They  looked  and  saw  that  the  buffalo  were  upon 
them.  They  tried  to  escape,  but  it  was  too  late.  The  buffalo  caught 
all  but  one  man,  who  succeeded  in  gaining  the  timber  and  climbing  a 
tall  tree.  All  day  the  buffalo  surrounded  the  tree  and  tried  to  butt  it 
down,  but  could  not.  Night  came  on,  then  they  returned  to  the  plains 
and  the  man  climbed  down  and  ran  to  his  home.  He  told  all  the 

*  Told  by  White-Bread. 


HOW   THE    BUFFALO   CEASED   TO   EAT    HUMAN   BEINGS.  51 

people  how  the  buffalo  had  surprised  them  and  had  killed  his  three 
companions.  The  people  hastened  to  the  place,  but  found  nothing  but 
a  few  bones  scattered  about.  From  that  time  on  the  buffalo  ate  many 
people,  until  Coyote  came.  Then  the  people  left  this  dangerous  coun- 
try and  went  into  another.  They  went  through  the  gate  to  the  new 
country,  and  Coyote  went  with  them.  He  was  the  last  to  go  through 
the  gate,  and  as  he  went  he  shut  the  gate,  so  no  dangerous  animals 
could  enter,  and  he  let  through  only  a  few  buffalo  who  had  never 
tasted  human  flesh  and  so  were  not  dangerous. 

26.  THE  GIRL  WHO  HAD  POWER  TO  CALL  THE  BUFFALO. 

A  girl  who  had  power  to  call  the  buffalo  lived  with  her  six  brothers. 
The  brothers  were  stars,  and  every  night  they  left  the  girl  to  travel 
through  the  sky.  Every  morning  after  they  had  .returned  from  their 
nightly  journey  they  put  the  girl  in  a  swing  of  lariat  rope  that  hung 
down  from  the  sky  and  swung  her  through  the  air.  As  she  swung 
through  the  air  the  buffalo  saw  her  and  came.  The  boys  killed  all  that 
they  wanted,  and  then  the  rest  of  the  herd  went  away.  In  this  way 
the  girl  called  the  buffalo  for  her  brothers,  and  so  they  always  had 
plenty  to  eat. 

One  time  Coyote  came  to  visit  them,  and,  finding  that  they  always 
had  meat,  he  decided  to  come  and  live  with  them.  The  brothers  did 
not  think  much  of  Coyote,  but  they  decided  to  let  him  stay.  Every 
morning  he  watched  the  boys  put  their  sister  in  the  swing  and  swing 
her  until  the  buffalo  came.  Before  the  brothers  would  let  Coyote  watch 
them  swing  her  they  made  him  promise  that  he  would  never  try  to  do 
the  same  while  they  were  gone,  because  if  any  one  else  tried  to  swing 
the  girl  he  would  swing  her  too  hard  and  she  would  swing  to  the  sky 
and  never  return.  Coyote  promised,  but  one  day  while  all  of  the 
brothers  were  gone  he  called  the  girl  to  come  and  get  into  the  swing. 
She  refused,  but  he  threatened  her  and  made  her  obey  him.  She 
climbed  into  the  swing  and  Coyote  pushed  her.  The  buffalo  did  not 
come,  and  so  he  pushed  her  again  and  caused  her  to  go  higher  and 
higher  through  the  air  until  she  disappeared.  Coyote  became  fright- 
ened and  called  to  her  to  come  down,  saying  that  if  she  did  not  come 
he  would  jump  up  and  pull  her  down.  The  girl  did  not  come,  and  he 
could  not  see  her. 

When  the  brothers  came  home  they  missed  their  sister  and  asked 
Coyote  where  she  was.  He  said  that  he  did  not  know,  but  that  he 
thought  some  monster  had  carried  her  away.  The  brothers  knew  that 
Coyote  had  lied,  and  that  he  had  been  the  cause  of  her  disappearance. 
They  drove  Coyote  away,  telling  him  that  he  and  his  children  would 


52  TRADITIONS   OF   THE    CADDO. 

always  be  hungry  because  he  had  disobeyed  them.  Then  they  held 
a  council  among  themselves  and  decided  to  go  to  the  sky  and  live  there 
with  their  sister. 

27.  THE  OLD  WOMAN  WHO  KEPT  ALL  THE  PECANS.* 

There  lived  an  old  woman  who  was  mother  to  all  the  pecan  trees. 
She  owned  all  of  the  trees  and  gathered  all  the  nuts  herself.  When 
people  went  to  her  lodge  she  would  give  them  a  few  pecans  to  eat,  but 
would  never  allow  them  to  take  any  away.  The  people  were  very  fond 
of  pecans  and  they  wanted  some  for  their  own  use,  but  the  old  woman 
would  not  let  them  have  any.  One  time  the  people  were  very  hungry 
and  the  old  woman  had  everything  in  her  lodge  filled  with  pecans,  but 
she  would  give  them  only  a  few  when  they  went  to  see  her  and  she 
made  them  eat  them  before  going  away.  This  made  the  people  angry 
and  they  decided  that  something  must  be  done. 

There  was  in  the  village  an  old  man  who  had  four  little  sons  who 
were  very  troublesome  and  meddlesome.  The  people — they  were  the 
field  Rats — thought  that  these  four  little  boys  would  be  the  right  ones 
to  go  over  to  the  old  woman's  house  some  night  to  try  to  steal  some 
of  the  nuts.  They  chose  the  four  boys  both  because  they  were  small 
and  quiet  and  sly  and  because  they  were  such  a  nuisance  around  the 
village  that  they  would  be  no  great  loss  to  the  people  if  the  old  woman 
killed  them.  The  Rats  were  willing  to  go  because  they  were  always 
glad  to  be  meddling.  They  chose  one  to  slip  over  and  make  sure  that 
the  old  woman  was  asleep.  He  went  to  her  lodge  and  peeped  in  through 
a  small  crack  and  saw  that  she  was  still  at  work.  He  waited  until  she 
finished  her  work  and  went  to  bed  ;  then  when  he  heard  her  snore  he 
ran  back  home  to  tell  his  brothers  to  come.  When  he  went  inside  his 
father' s  lodge  he  saw  a  stranger  sitting  there.  The  stranger  was  Coyote. 
He  had  come  to  tell  the  Rats  not  to  trouble  about  stealing  pecans  from 
the  old  woman,  for  he  was  going  over  the  next  day  and  kill  her.  Coyote 
was  afraid  to  trust  the  Rats.  He  wanted  to  go  himself,  so  he  could  get 
the  most  of  the  pecans.  The  next  morning  he  went  over  to  see  the  old 
woman  and  acted  very  friendly.  The  old  woman  gave  him  some  pecans 
and  he  sat  down  and  ate  them  all  up.  Then  he  asked  her  for  some 
more,  and  as  she  turned  around  to  get  them  he  pulled  out  his  stone  knife 
and  struck  her  on  the  head.  She  died,  and  ever  since  then  the  pecan 
trees  have  grown  everywhere  and  belong  to  all  of  the  people. 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


THE  COWARD,  THE  SON  OF  THE  MOON. 


53 


28.  THE  COWARD,  THE  SON  OF  THE  MOON.* 

In  the  beginning,  when  the  people  first  came  out  of  the  earth,  a  little 
boy  was  taken  out  with  his  grandparents,  but  his  mother  and  father 
were  left  behind  in  the  earth.  The  old  people  loved  the  child  dearly 
and  cared  for  him,  but  because  they  were  old  they  were  poor,  and  so 
the  boy  was  often  hungry.  Sometimes  other  little  boys  took  him  to 
their  lodges  and  fed  him,  and  then  the  old  people  were  happy ;  for 
they  did  not  mind  being  hungry  themselves,  so  long  as  their  grandson 
had  something  to  eat.  He  grew  rapidly  and  soon  became  old  enough 
to  hunt  game  ;  then  the  old  people  always  had  plenty  to  eat,  for  he 
was  successful  on  the  hunt.  One  time,  when  he  came  home  from  a 
long  hunt,  he  found  his  grandmother  sick,  and  in  a  few  days  she  died. 
The  boy  grieved  for  his  grandmother,  but  remained  with  his  grand- 
father to  comfort  and  provide  food  for  him.  One  day  the  grandfather, 
who  was  an  old  man,  dropped  dead.  Then  the  boy,  left  all  alone, 
gave  up  to  his  grief  and  spent  days  and  nights  in  mourning.  He 
wandered  far  away  into  the  timber  to  mourn,  and  in  his  grief  and  lone- 
liness he  prayed  that  he  might  die.  While  he  was  praying  one  even- 
ing, just  as  the  sun  was  going  down,  he  heard  some  one  calling  him. 
He  turned  and  saw  a  man  coming,  and  when  the  man  came  near  he 
opened  out  his  aTms  to  embrace  the  boy,  and  said:  "I  will  be  your 
father,  and  I  will  look  upon  you  as  my  own  son.  One  time  you 
wished  for  me,  and  now  I  have  come  to  claim  you  as  my  own.  I  am 
the  Moon,  who  keeps  watch  over  everything  in  this  world.  Go  back 
to  your  people  now  and  some  time  I  will  come  for  you.  In  the  mean- 
time remember  that  I  will  always  watch  over  you  and  give  you  power. ' ' 

The  young  man  went  back  to  his  home  and  wept  no  more,  for  he  did 
not  feel  so  lonely  and  forsaken,  now  that  he  had  a  father.  After  a 
time  a  girl  came  to  his  lodge  and  asked  to  become  his  wife.  He  ac- 
cepted her  and  they  lived  together.  One  time  while  they  were  at  dinner 
he  said  :  ' '  Some  one  is  coming  with  news  for  the  chief. ' '  The  person 
was  then  several  days'  journey  from  the  village,  and  so  his  wife  saw 
that  her  husband  had  great  power.  One  time  he  was  told  by  a  mother 
to  watch  her  child  while  she  went  out  to  get  water.  She  told  him  that 
the  child  was  asleep,  and  if  it  woke  up  to  give  it  a  buffalo  bone  to 
suck.  When  the  mother  was  gone  he  woke  the  child  up  and  cut  its 
leg  off.  When  the  mother  returned  she  saw  her  child  lying  dead  upon 
the  blankets,  and  saw  the  young  man  sitting  beside  it  playing  with  its 

*  Told  by  Caddo  George. 


54  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

leg.  She  ran  and  called  the  people  and  they  came  and  killed  the  young 
man.  Soon  after  they  heard  that  he  was  living  with  another  family 
not  far  away.  The  people  went  to  the  place  where  they  had  buried 
him  and  saw  that  he  had  come  out  of  the  grave.  Then  they  went  to 
the  family  with  whom  it  was  reported  he  was  living,  and  they  found 
him  there  alive  and  looking  just  the  same  as  before  they  had  killed 
him. 

One  time  the  tribe  went  on  the  war-path  and  fought  another  tribe. 
All  the  men  went  except  this  man.  The  chief  asked  him  why  he  did 
not  go  with  the  others  to  fight  the  enemy  and  kill  a  man  instead  of  a 
little  child.  Coward,  for  so  the  people  called  him,  said  that  his  father 
had  not  told  him  to  have  trouble  with  people.  The  chief  asked  him  who 
his  father  was,  but  he  did  not  answer.  He  arose,  took  up  a  war  club, 
and  went  out  to  fight.  The  enemy  shot  many  arrows  at  him,  but  soon 
they  saw  that  the  arrows  flew  off  from  him,  and  they  knew  that  he  was 
wonderful  and  could  not  be  killed.  They  turned  to  run,  and  as  they  ran 
he  killed  many  with  his  war  club.  The  next  day  he  became  sick  and 
began  to  shake  all  over.  Finally  he  vomited  all  the  arrow  heads  that 
had  pierced  his  body,  then  he  bathed  himself  and  was  well.  After  that 
the  people  knew  that  he  had  some  great  power.  Many  years  after  he 
told  his  people  that  he  was  going  away,  and  that  evening  when  the 
Moon  came  up  he  pointed  to  it  and  said  :  ' '  There  is  my  father. ' ' 
Then  he  arose  from  the  earth  and  went  up  to  the  Moon. 

29.  THE  FIRST  WAR  PARTY.* 

When  the  people  came  into  the  world  there  were  so  many  that  they 
had  to  be  divided  into  groups,  and  each  group  was  given  a  different 
name,  although  they  all  belonged  to  the  same  tribe.  After  a  time  the 
tribes  began  to  fight  with  each  other,  and  the  Caddo  fought  the  Kiowa 
and  Comanche.  The  Caddo  gathered  one  time  in  council  and  the  chief 
told  the  errand-man  to  cry  out  for  all  the  young  men  to  come  to  the 
council.  The  young  men  came  and  the  chief  asked  all  of  those  who 
wanted  to  fight  the  other  tribes  to  sit  in  a  circle.  After  the  circle  was 
formed  the  chief  brought  the  largest  buffalo  hide  that  he  had  and  laid 
it  upon  the  ground  in  the  center  of  the  circle.  Then  he  gave  each  man 
a  stick  and  they  all  beat  the  buffalo  hide  with  the  sticks  and  sang  a  war 
song.  They  began  singing  at  sunset  and  continued  until  Morning  Star 
drove  the  other  stars  away. 

In  the  meantime  the  chief  and  his  assistants  went  ahead  to  choose  a 
good  place  with  water  near  by  to  make  a  camp.  At  dawn  all  the  men 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


THE    FIRST    WAR    PARTY. 


55 


arose  and  marched  out  to  the  place,  continuing  their  war  song  as  they 
went.  They  were  not  allowed  to  go  back  to  their  homes,  but  had  to 
march  all  together  out  of  the  village.  They  waited  until  noon  at  the 
place  the  chief  had  chosen,  so  that  others  who  decided  late  to  join  the 
party  would  have  time  to  catch  up  with  them.  They  all  stopped  their 
songs  and  ate,  and,  while  they  were  eating,  the  chief  made  the  following 
speech  : 

' '  I  want  to  make  certain  rules  for  you,  my  men,  for  if  you  are  to 
become  great  warriors  you  must  learn  to  obey.  First,  I  want  all  to 
move  forward  in  one  body  and  want  none  to  stop  by  the  way.  I  will 
appoint  two  men  who  shall  be  water-carriers,  and  I  want  each  man  to 
drink  only  when  water  is  brought  by  the  water-carriers,  and  not  to  stop 
and  drink  at  every  spring  or  stream.  A  drink  of  water  three  times  a 
day  is  enough  for  each  man.  We  will  also  eat  three  times  a  day.  March 
on,  now,  and  remember  to  keep  in  one  body,  that  we  may  overcome 
the  enemy." 

They  marched  by  day  and  made  camp  by  night.  The  chief  always 
camped  about  a  hundred  yards  in  advance  of  the  others,  facing  the 
enemy's  country.  When  the  men  were  near  the  enemy's  country  the 
chief  appointed  four  men  to  go  on  ahead  as  spies  and  to  come  back  at 
night  and  report.  They  went  out  in  all  directions,  but  before  going 
they  arranged  a  meeting  place,  so  that  if  any  one  saw  the  enemy  he 
could  go  to  that  place,  give  the  signal,  and  the  other  spies  could  join 
him  and  all  race  back  to  tell  the  leader  that  they  had  seen  the  enemy. 
When  they  reached  camp  they  stood  in  line  and  waited  for  the  water- 
carriers  to  give  them  a  drink  before  they  began  to  speak. 

They  went  on  until  they  found  the  enemy  and  fought  them,  but 
scalped  only  one,  for  that  was  enough  to  show  that  they  had  been  vic- 
torious. When  the  battle  was  over  the  warriors  were  all  left  to  do  as 
they  pleased.  The  chief  sent  word  to  their  homes  that  they  had  de- 
feated the  enemy  and  were  bringing  back  a  scalp.  The  people  decked 
themselves  in  paint  and  feathers  and  went  out  to  meet  the  returning 
war  party.  When  the  people  met  the  party  the  chief  told  the  man  who 
had  the  scalp  to  put  it  on  a  pole,  and  then  all  the  young  men  raced  for 
it,  and  the  one  who  got  it  ran  on  until  some  one  overtook  him  ;  then 
that  one  took  the  scalp  and  ran  on  until  some  one  overtook  him,  and 
so  they  raced  home.  The  people  at  home  were  waiting  for  them,  and 
when  they  arrived  they  all  joined  in  a  big  war  dance. 

So  it  was  with  the  first  war  party,  and  so  it  has  been  with  all  war 
parties  since  that  time. 


56  TRADITIONS  OF  THE  CADDO. 

30.  THE  POWER  OF  THE  CYCLONE  * 

A  boy  sat  down  on  the  banks  of  the  river  to  rest  after  his  morning 
bath,  and  as  he  sat  there  watching  the  sun  come  up  and  listening  to 
the  water  and  trees,  a  voice  from  some  place  spoke  in  his  ear  and  said  : 
"  Boy,  I  have  been  watching  you  at  your  bath  every  morning.  I 
know  that  your  grandmother  has  sent  you  here  every  day  in  winter 
and  in  summer  to  plunge  into  the  water,  no  matter  how  cold,  that 
you  might  gain  strength  and  become  a  strong  man,  hardened  to 
endure.  I  have  come  to  give  you  that  strength  that  you  desire,  and 
even  more. ' ' 

The  boy  looked  about^him  through  the  trees  and  in  the  water,  but 
for  a  long  time  he  saw  nothing.  After  he  had  gazed  into  the  water 
for  a  long  time  he  saw  slowly  arising  to  the  surface  a  man.  The  boy 
was  not  frightened,  but  sat  still  on  the  bank  and  waited.  The  man 
came  close  and  spoke  to  him,  saying  :  "  Dive  into  the  water  four  times, 
and  as  you  dive  always  face  the  west."  After  the  boy  had  dived  four 
times  and  again  sat  on  the  bank,  the  unknown  person  said  :  "I  am 
the  power  of  the  Cyclone.  Once  I  was  so  strong  and  powerful  that  I 
held  all  the  Winds  in  my  control,  and  all  people  feared  me,  but  now  I 
am  growing  old  and  my  strength  is  going  from  me.  For  some  time 
I  have  been  looking  over  the  world  to  find  some  one  to  take  my  place 
and  to  whom  I  could  intrust  my  powers.  As  I  was  looking  and  almost 
despairing  of  finding  a  worthy  young  man,  I  found  you.  From  that 
time  I  have  been  watching  you,  and  now  at  last  I  am  come  to  give  my 
power  to  you.  Swing  your  arms  about. ' '  The  young  man  began  to 
swing  his  arms,  and  soon  a  big,  black  cloud  rolled  up  in  the  north.  It 
passed  to  the  west,  and  then,  as  the  boy  threw  his  arms  about  faster, 
the  wind  broke  from  the  cloud  and  passed  through  the  forest,  tearing 
up  trees  by  the  roots  and  tossing  the  waters  in  fury  as  it  went.  At 
last  the  man  cried  in  a  loud  voice  that  was  barely  heard  above  the  roar 
of  the  winds,  "Stand  still !  " 

The  boy  dropped  his  arms  at  his  sides  and  stood  breathless  and  pant- 
ing with  the  exertion.  The  man  said  :  ' '  You  have  received  my  power. 
Take  care  that  you  never  abuse  it,  and  send  the  cyclone  only  in  the 
spring,  when  it  is  necessary.  I  give  you  the  name  '  Path-of-the- 
Cyclone'  to  be  yours,  and  people  shall  know  you  by  that  name." 
Then  the  man  disappeared.  Years  after  the  people  came  to  know  the 
power  the  boy  possessed  when  they  saw  him  carried  through  the  air  to 
the  sky  on  the  breast  of  the  cyclone. 

*Told  by  Wing. 


HOW   THE    CANNIBAL   WAS   DESTROYED. 


57 


31.  HOW  THE  CANNIBAL  WAS  DESTROYED* 

In  the  beginning  of  this  world  there  lived  many  kinds  of  fierce  animals. 
Among  these  animals  was  one  especially  that  was  called  by  the  people 
living  in  those  times  the  cannibal. 

One  time  there  were  three  men  who  went  out  hunting.  They  went  a 
long  way  from  home  and  kept  on  going  farther  and  farther  in  search  of 
game.  One  day  they  came  to  a  country  timbered  with  many  large  trees. 
They  came  to  one  of  these  trees  and  saw  that  something  had  been 
climbing  on  the  tree,  and  near  the  base  there  was  a  large  hole.  The 
men  thought  that  a  bear  must  have  made  the  hole,  and  that  the  bear 
was  in  the  hole.  They  gathered  dry  leaves  and  grass  and  made  it  up 
into  a  small  bundle,  and  they  set  the  bundle  on  fire  and  tied  it  to  the 
end  of  a  long  pole  and  thrust  the  burning  bundle  into  the  hole.  They 
kept  on  dropping  bundles  into  the  hole  until  they  thought  it  about  time 
the  bear  should  come  out.  One  of  the  bundles  which  was  put  into  the 
hole  dropped  out  from  the  hole,  and  then  they  knew  that  the  bear  was 
coming  out.  Finally  some  strange  animal  came  and  peeped  out  from 
the  hole,  and  it  was  not  a  bear,  but  a  cannibal. 

As  soon  as  they  saw  and  knew  what  kind  of  animal  it  was,  they  ran. 
The  smoke  cleared  away  and  the  cannibal  came  down  from  the  tree  and 
smelled  around  until  he  scented  the  tracks  of  the  men,  and  then  he  began 
to  follow  them.  These  men  were  on  foot  and  the  cannibal  was  very 
swift,  and  so  it  was  not  long  until  he  overtook  one  of  the  men  and  killed 
him.  Then  the  animal  took  the  man  back  to  the  woods,  to  the  large 
tree,  and  went  back  after  the  other  two  men.  After  running  a  long 
way  he  overtook  the  second  man.  He  killed  him  and  carried  him  back 
and  placed  him  by  the  side  of  the  first  man.  Then  he  returned  for  the 
third  man.  When  the  third  man  was  almost  overtaken,  and  was  run- 
ning with  all  his  might,  he  saw  something  flat  on  the  ground  in  front 
of  him,  but  he  did  not  stop.  He  saw  that  it  was  a  mountain-lion, 
lying  there  watching  and  waiting  for  the  approaching  cannibal.  The 
man  ran  on  a  way,  then  turned  around  and  looked  back  to  see  what 
the  mountain-lion  would  do.  The  cannibal  did  not  see  the  mountain- 
lion  lying  there,  and  before  he  knew  anything  the  mountain-lion 
jumped  upon  him  and  seized  him  by  the  throat.  Finally  the  cannibal 
was  overpowered  and  killed,  and  then  the  man  started  on  for  his  home. 
When  he  got  home  he  told  his  people  what  had  happened  to  the  other 
two  men.  When  they  all  heard  this  they  started  down  where  he  last 
saw  the  cannibal,  and  when  they  got  to  the  place  they  found  nothing 

*Told  by  Annie  Wilson. 


58  TRADITIONS   OF  THE   CADDO. 

but  many  white  and  black  wolves,  which  had  already  eaten  the  body,  and 
there  was  nothing  left  but  the  bones  of  the  cannibal.  The  men  went  on 
to  the  tree  where  the  cannibal  had  lived.  The  tree  was  not  burning, 
and  so  the  men  began  to  cut  the  tree  down,  and  when  it  fell  they  found 
two  bodies.  They  took  the  bodies  out  from  the  tree  and  buried  them 
a  short  distance  away. 

32.  THE  YOUNG  MEN  AND  THE  CANNIBALS.* 

Ten  boys  lived  with  their  grandmother.  One  day  the  oldest  went 
out  to  hunt  and  did  not  return.  The  grandmother  worried  about  him, 
and  so  the  next  day  one  of  his  brothers  went  to  look  for  him.  He  did 
not  return,  and  so  the  next  brother  went  out  to  look  for  his  brothers. 
He  did  not  return  and  another  went,  and  so  on  until  the  ninth  boy 
went  out,  leaving  his  little  brother  at  home  with  his  grandmother. 
They  waited  long,  but  none  of  the  brothers  returned  and  no  news  came 
of  them.  They  worried  and  grieved  and  became  sadder  each  day,  until 
at  last  the  youngest  boy  declared  that  he  was  going  to  look  for  his 
brothers.  His  grandmother  begged  him  not  to  go  and  leave  her  alone, 
for  she  felt  that  the  same  evil  fate  would  befall  him  that  had  come  to 
his  brothers ;  but  the  boy  was  determined  and  prepared  to  go.  He 
went  out  and  prayed  for  help  and  put  an  eagle  feather  in  his  hair  just 
before  starting,  thinking  that  it  might  have  some  hidden  power.  The 
boy  traveled  far,  and  after  a  time  he  saw  a  tipi.  He  approached  the 
tipi,  and  as  he  went  near  he  heard  some  one  laugh  and  say  :  "  Another 
one  is  coming.  Cook  some  corn  and  we  will  soon  have  the  meat." 
The  boy  understood  the  meaning  of  this,  but  he  was  so  sad  and  weary 
that  he  thought  he  would  as  soon  die  as  live,  and  so  he  went  on  to  the 
tipi.  An  old  man  came  out  of  the  tipi  and  said  to  him  :  "Are  you 
looking  for  your  nine  brothers?  "  "  Yes,"  the  boy  answered.  Then 
the  man  said  :  "I  know  where  your  brothers  are  and  I  will  put  you  on 
the  right  path  to  find  them,  but  first  you  must  do  some  work  for  me. 
Lift  that  big  log  there  and  put  it  on  the  fire.  I  will  give  you  four 
trials,  and  then  if  you  can  not  do  it  you  must  lie  down  upon  the  log 
and  let  me  lift  it." 

The  boy  did  not  believe  anything  the  man  said,  but  thought  he 
would  try  to  lift  the  log  and  see  if  some  power  would  not  come  to  his 
aid  in  answer  to  his  prayers.  He  tried  four  times,  but  could  not  move 
the  log;  then  he  lay  down  upon  it.  The  old  man  was  just  about  to 
spear  him  with  the  iron  nose  of  the  mask  he  wore,  when  some  unseen 
power  pulled  the  boy  off  the  log,  and  the  iron  nose  of  the  mask  caught 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


THE  YOUNG  MEN  AND  THE  CANNIBAI^S. 


59 


in  the  log  and  held  the  old  man  fast.  A  voice  said  to  the  boy  :  "  Run 
to  the  tipi  and  take  the  pounder  away  from  the  woman  who  is  pound- 
ing corn,  bring  it  here,  and  beat  the  old  man  to  death."  The  boy 
obeyed,  and  when  the  old  man  was  dead,  the  voice  said  :  "  Gather  up 
all  of  your  brothers'  bones.  I  will  help  you,  for  I  know  the  bones  of 
each  boy,  and  put  them  in  nine  piles."  A  strange  man,  the  possessor 
of  the  voice,  appeared  and  helped  the  boy  gather  up  the  bones.  When 
they  had  them  all  piled  up  the  man  said  :  "  Put  your  robe  over  them, 
shoot  an  arrow  up  in  the  sky,  then  cry :  '  Look  out,  brothers,  the 
arrow  will  hit  you  ! '  "  The  boy  obeyed,  and  as  he  cried  "  Look  out, 
brothers,  the  arrow  will  hit  you  ! "  his  brothers  jumped  out  from  under 
the  robe.  The  man  then  told  them  to  burn  the  tipi  with  the  man  and 
his  wife  in  it  and  to  scatter  the  ashes.  After  they  had  done  all  that, 
the  man  said  :  ' '  Return  now  to  your  grandmother.  I  am  the  Sun  and 
I  have  helped  you  destroy  the  cannibals."  Then  he  disappeared.  The 
brothers  all  returned  to  their  grandmother,  who  had  almost  grieved 
herself  to  death.  They  told  their  story,  and  the  youngest  boy  told  how 
the  Sun  had  taken  pity  on  him  and  helped  him  ;  and  from  that  time  all 
the  people  knew  that  the  Sun  was  their  friend  and  always  willing  to 
help  them  in  times  of  trouble. 

33.  COYOTE  AND  THE  SIX  BROTHERS. 

An  old  woman  lived  alone  with  her  seven  sons.  They  were  all  good 
hunters  and  kept  her  busy  preparing  the  game  that  they  killed.  One 
day  the  oldest  son  went  out  to  hunt  and  did  not  return.  After  several 
days  his  dogs  came  back,  but  he  did  not  come.  The  second  son  decided 
to  go  to  search  for  his  brother,  and  so  he  took  the  dogs  and  started  out. 
After  several  days  the  dogs  came  back,  but  the  second  son  did  not  come. 
The  third  son  decided  to  go  after  his  missing  brothers.  Again  the  dogs 
returned  alone,  and  the  brothers  did  not  come.  The  fourth,  the  fifth, 
and  the  sixth  sons  in  turn  went  to  search  for  their  missing  brothers,  but 
each  time  the  dogs  came  back  alone.  The  youngest  son  wanted  to  go, 
but  his  mother  could  not  give  him  up,  for  she  feared  that  he,  too,  would 
go,  never  to  return.  One  day,  after  the  brothers  had  been  gone  a  long 
time,  the  little  boy  saw  a  raccoon  in  a  tree.  He  asked  his  mother  if  he 
could  not  take  his  bow  and  arrow  and  kill  it.  She  said  that  he  could, 
and  gave  him  his  bow  and  arrow.  He  chased  the  raccoon  from  one 
tree  to  another  until  it  had  led  him  far  into  the  thick  timber.  Finally 
it  ran  down  a  hollow  tree  and  he  climbed  the  tree  to  get  it  out.  While 
he  was  in  the  tree  he  heard  some  one  speak,  and,  turning  around,  he 
saw  a  little  old  woman  standing  by  the  tree.  ' '  Throw  the  raccoon 
down  here,  and  I  and  the  dogs  will  kill  it,"  she  said.  He  threw  the 


60  TRADITIONS   OF  THE   CADDO. 

raccoon  down  and  the  old  woman  killed  it  and  one  of  the  dogs.  Then 
she  said,  "  There  is  another  raccoon  in  the  tree."  He  pulled  out 
another  raccoon  and  threw  it  down.  She  killed  it  and  another  one  of 
his  dogs.  He  saw  another  raccoon  in  the  tree  and  he  pulled  it  out,  and 
again  she  killed  it  and  another  dog.  He  continued  to  pull  raccoons 
out  of  the  tree  until  he  had  pulled  six,  and  each  time  the  old  woman 
killed  the  raccoon  and  another  dog.  As  the  boy  was  about  to  pull  the 
seventh  raccoon  out,  it  spoke  to  him  and  said:  "Boy,  when  you  get  me 
out,  throw  me  just  as  far  as  you  can.  I  will  run  away  and  the  old 
woman  will  chase  me.  While  she  is  chasing  me,  you  must  jump  and 
run  home  as  fast  as  possible.  She  has  already  killed  all  of  your  dogs, 
and  she  will  kill  you  next.  She  is  a  witch,  and  is  the  one  who  has 
killed  all  of  your  brothers.  You  must  run  from  her."  The  boy  said 
that  he  would,  and  then  he  threw  the  raccoon  just  as  far  as  he  could. 
While  the  old  woman  was  chasing  it  he  jumped  out  of  the  tree  and 
started  to  run  home.  The  old  woman  killed  the  raccoon,  then  returned 
to  the  tree,  and  when  she  found  the  boy  gone  she  was  angry,  and 
started  after  him  as  fast  as  she  could  run,  but  he  was  too  far  ahead, 
and  she  could  not  catch  him. 

When  the  boy  reached  home  he  told  his  mother  all  that  had  happened. 
That  night  he  had  a  strange  dream,  in  which  he  dreamed  that  he  met 
Coyote,  and  Coyote  told  him  that  his  brothers  were  not  dead,  but  were 
with  some  bad  people  who  made  them  work  so  hard  that  they  would 
soon  die  if  they  did  not  get  away,  and  Coyote  promised  to  help  him 
rescue  his  brothers.  The  next  morning  he  told  his  mother  his  dream, 
and  she  told  him  that  his  dream  would  probably  come  true.  That  very 
afternoon  the  boy  went  out  to  hunt,  and  while  he  was  walking  along 
he  met  a  man,  and  the  man  told  him  the  same  thing  that  the  man  in 
the  dream  had  told  him.  The  boy  returned  to  his  home  and  the  man 
went  on  through  the  timber  until  he  met  Flying  Squirrel.  He  was  one 
of  the  bad  people's  slaves  and  had  to  work  for  them.  Coyote,  for  he 
was  the  man,  began  to  talk  to  Squirrel  and  asked  him  about  the  bad 
people.  Squirrel  told  him  that  the  bad  people  made  slaves  of  all  of  the 
people  that  they  could  catch  alive,  and  that  they  ate  all  that  they  killed. 
Coyote  asked  about  the  six  brothers,  and  Squirrel  told  Coyote  that  they 
were  slaves  like  himself  and  could  not  get  away,  but  had  to  work. 
Coyote  said  that  he  would  like  to  help  them,  and  that  he  thought  he 
could,  for  he  was  very  cunning  and  had  a  good  deal  of  power.  Squirrel 
told  Coyote  if  he  could  only  find  some  way  to  kill  the  wicked  chief 
that  there  would  be  no  more  trouble.  Coyote  said  that  he  thought  he 
could  plan  to  kill  him  if  he  could  only  get  to  him,  but  that  he  lived 
across  the  river  and  had  no  way  of  getting  across.  Flying  Squirrel 


COYOTE   AND   THE   SIX   BROTHERS.  6 1 

said  that  he  would  take  him  across  if  he  thought  he  could  hold  on  to 
his  tail  as  he  flew.  Coyote  said  that  he  could,  and  so  they  started. 
When  they  were  almost  to  the  other  bank  Coyote  let  go  Squirrel's  tail 
and  fell  into  the  water.  He  hid  in  the  tall  grass  until  he  thought  of  a 
plan.  When  he  had  made  up  his  mind  what  he  was  going  to  do,  he 
turned  into  a  nice,  new  corn  mill,  and  floated  out  on  the  water  where 
he  would  be  in  plain  sight.  Soon  a  woman  came  down  to  the  river  to 
get  some  water.  She  saw  the  mill  and  tried  to  get  it,  but  could  not. 
She  ran  back  and  told  the  chief  about  the  nice,  new  mill,  and  asked 
him  to  get  it  for  her.  He  told  her  that  he  was  afraid  it  was  Coyote, 
or  some  one  trying  to  play  a  trick  on  them,  but  the  woman  said  that  it 
could  not  be  anything  but  a  fine  corn  mill  and  that  she  wanted  it.  The 
chief  sent  some  one  to  get  it,  and  then  all  of  the  women  came  to  pound 
their  corn  in  the  new  mill.  They  used  it  for  several  days,  and  all 
thought  it  was  the  best  mill  they  had  ever  had.  One  day  some  one 
put  some  fine  sweet  corn  in  it,  and  after  she  had  ground  a  little  while 
all  of  her  corn  was  gone.  She  ran  to  the  chief  and  told  him.  He  said 
that  the  corn  mill  was  Coyote,  as  he  had  feared,  and  he  told  the  people 
to  bring  it  to  him.  They  brought  it,  and  he  placed  it  on  the  big  log 
where  he  always  speared  people  with  his  long,  spiked  nose.  He  raised 
his  head  high,  then  dropped  it,  and  his  nose  stuck  in  the  log  so  that  he 
could  not  get  loose.  The  corn  mill  had  rolled  off  the  log  and  turned 
into  Coyote.  He  grabbed  the  chief  by  the  head  and  held  him  there 
while  he  called  all  the  slaves  to  come  and  kill  him.  With  the  others 
came  the  six  brothers.  After  they  had  killed  the  chief,  Coyote  told 
all  that  they  were  free,  and  to  go  to  their  homes.  The  six  brothers 
returned  to  their  home,  and  ever  after  that  whenever  they  killed  any 
game  they  always  left  some  for  Coyote. 

34.  THE  DEATH  OF  THE  CANNIBALS.* 

There  was  a  village  called  Tall-Timber-on-Top-of-Hill,  and  the  people 
decided  to  move  from  that  village  to  another.  They  were  all  ready  to 
go  when  a  baby  was  born  to  a  young  woman  whose  husband  had  died. 
The  woman  could  not  make  the  long  journey  with  the  new  baby,  and 
the  people  were  unwilling  to  wait  for  her,  so  they  decided  to  go  on  and 
leave  her  to  follow  when  she  was  strong  enough  to  carry  the  child. 
The  woman  remained  alone  in  the  deserted  village  for  many  days.  She 
was  afraid  to  be  there  alone,  and  counted  the  days  until  she  could  start 
to  the  new  village.  One  night  as  she  sat  with  only  her  child  in  the 
grass  lodge  she  heard  some  one  outside,  and  a  strange  voice  begged 
admission.  She  was  frightened,  but  let  the  man  in,  and  said:  "Are 

*Told  by  Shorter. 


62  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

you  from  my  people  ?  "  "  No, ' '  said  he,  ' '  though  I  often  go  around 
their  village  at  night.  Do  not  be  frightened,  and  I  will  tell  you  who 
I  am.  People  call  me  Spotted- Wolf.  I  have  come  here  to  see  you  and 
your  child  and  to  beg  you  not  to  start  too  soon  on  your  journey,  for 
there  are  many  dangerous  animals  on  the  way. ' '  The  woman  replied  : 
1 '  I  know,  but  I  want  to  go  to  my  people.  It  is  lonely  here,  and  I  am 
afraid."  Spotted- Wolf  said  :  "I  am  afraid  something  will  happen  to 
you  if  you  go  now.  Take  this  tobacco,  and  if  you  meet  danger  and  need 
help  throw  some  of  it  to  the  four  directions  and  call  to  me,  and  I  will 
come  and  help  you. ' '  The  woman  took  the  tobacco  ;  then  Spotted- Wolf 
arose  and  went  to  his  home. 

After  a  few  days  the  woman  decided  to  start  on  her  journey.  She 
put  her  child  on  her  back  and  started.  After  she  had  traveled  three 
days  she  saw  in  her  way  a  strange-looking  being.  She  went  on,  and 
as  she  came  nearer  she  was  not  certain  whether  it  was  a  wild  animal  or 
a  person  ;  but  in  a  moment  it  dropped  on  the  ground  and  rolled  over 
twice,  and  then  she  saw  that  it  was  a  wild  animal.  Again  she  looked 
and  saw  that  it  had  taken  the  form  of  a  person.  Then  she  knew  that  it 
was  a  cannibal,  for  those  creatures  first  appear  as  human  beings  ;  then 
they  turn  into  wild  animals  and  eat  people.  She  was  frightened  so 
that  she  could  not  go  on,  for  she  thought  that  she  and  her  child  would 
be  eaten  by  the  cannibal.  She  thought  of  Spotted- Wolf  and  took  some 
tobacco  out  of  her  bag  and  threw  it  to  the  south,  the  east,  the  west, 
and  the  north  ;  and  as  she  threw  it  she  prayed  that  Spotted- Wolf  would 
come  and  help  her.  Soon  she  heard  the  howl  of  a  wolf  in  the  south, 
then  another  in  the  east,  another  in  the  west,  and  another  in  the  north. 
The  cannibal  stopped  growling  at  her  and  looked  frightened.  In  a 
moment  big  spotted  wolves  were  coming  from  the  four  directions.  They 
killed  the  cannibal,  and  the  wolf  from  the  south  conducted  the  woman 
and  her  child  in  safety  to  the  village  of  her  people. 

There  is  another  kind  of  cannibal,  though  not  so  dangerous  as  the 
one  who  first  appears  as  a  human  being,  then  turns  to  an  animal. 
These  cannibals  live  as  human  beings  and  eat  people  only  after  they 
are  dead.  Whenever  they  hear  of  any  one  who  is  sick  and  about  to 
die  they  pretend  to  be  sick,  too,  and  when  they  hear  that  the  sick 
person  is  dead,  they  pretend  to  die,  too,  and  are  buried  ;  but  in  the 
night  they  jump  out  of  their  graves  and  steal  the  dead  person  before 
the  spirits  can  take  him  away. 

One  time  there  was  an  old  medicine-man  and  he  had  noticed  how 
certain  people  got  sick  whenever  they  heard  of  any  one  else  being  sick, 
and  how  they  died  when  the  sick  person  died,  and  then  how  they  always 
came  to  life  again.  He  watched  one  of  these  beings  for  a  long  time  ; 


THE   DEATH   OP   THE   CANNIBALS.  63 

then  he  pretended  to  be  very  sick  and  caused  it  to  be  rumored  about 
that  he  was  about  to  die.  Soon  he  heard  that  the  person  he  had  been 
watching  was  sick.  Then  the  medicine-man  pretended  that  he  was 
dead,  but  before  he  pretended  to  die  he  told  his  sons  to  put  a  bow  and 
some  arrows  in  his  grave,  and  told  them  not  to  put  much  earth  over 
him  when  they  buried  him.  As  soon  as  the  person  heard  that  the 
medicine-man  was  dead,  he  pretended  to  die  also,  and  was  buried. 
That  night  he  jumped  out  of  his  grave  and  went  to  get  the  medicine- 
man. The  medicine-man  heard  him  coming,  and  so  he  jumped  out  of 
his  grave  and  shot  an  arrow  through  the  cannibal  and  killed  him,  so 
that  he  never  came  back  to  life  again.  Then  the  medicine-man  told 
the  people  what  he  had  done,  and  ever  since  that  bows  and  arrows 
are  always  put  in  the  graves  with  the  dead,  that  they  may  shoot  the 
cannibal. 

35.  THE  MAN  WHO  MADE  ARROWS  FOR  GHOST.* 

Two  men  arose  and  went  out  to  hunt  before  daybreak,  and  they  were 
a  long  way  from  their  village  when  the  sun  came  up.  They  hunted 
all  day  and  far  into  the  evening,  but  did  not  find  anything.  They 
decided  to  stay  in  the  timber  and  sleep  that  night,  so  they  might  hunt 
next  day,  for  they  hated  to  go  home  empty-handed.  They  threw  them- 
selves down  on  a  soft,  grassy  place  and  slept  soundly,  for  they  were 
weary.  After  they  had  been  asleep  for  a  long  time  both  awoke  with 
a  start  and  listened.  Soon  they  heard  a  voice  whooping,  the  same  that 
had  awakened  them.  One  of  the  men  was  so  frightened  that  he  jumped 
up  and  ran  for  home  through  the  dark.  The  other  man  was  brave  and 
was  ashamed  to  run,  for  he  had  not  run  from  anything  in  all  his  life. 
He  arose  and  stood  his  ground.  Soon  a  dead  person  stood  before  him. 
He  asked  the  man  if  he  could  help  him  get  into  Spirit  L,and.  He 
said  :  "I  have  been  trying  for  a  long  time,  but  can  not  get  any  farther, 
for  my  bowstring  has  a  knot  in  it.  Can't  you  give  me  a  bowstring  and 
make  me  two  new  arrows  ? ' '  The  man  said  that  he  would,  and  so  he 
sat  down  to  make  the  arrows.  Then  he  put  a  new  string  on  the  dead 
person's  bow.  The  dead  person  shot  the  arrows  and  went  up  in  the 
air  with  them.  Before  going  he  told  the  man  that  he  would  whoop 
when  he  was  high  up  in  the  air,  to  let  him  know  that  the  arrows  had 
carried  him  up  all  right,  and  he  wanted  the  man  to  whoop  back,  to  let 
him  know  that  he  had  heard  him.  The  man  listened'and  soon  he  heard 
a  whoop.  He  answered  it,  and  then  he  heard  nothing  more,  so  he 
knew  that  the  man  had  entered  Spirit  I^and.  The  next  day  he  returned 
to  his  people  and  told  them  the  story,  and  ever  since  that  time  bows 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


64  TRADITIONS   OF  THE   CAD  DO. 

and  arrows  are  always  made  and  buried  with  the  dead,  so  that  they 
can  go  to  Spirit  Land  at  once  and  not  have  to  wander  about.  But  no 
one  ever  makes  bows  and  arrows  at  night,  because  they  are  afraid  some 
of  the  ghosts  might  come  for  them  and  cause  a  death  in  the  family,  for 
whenever  a  ghost  appears  it  is  a  sign  of  death. 

36.  THE  LAZY  BOYS  WHO  BECAME  THE  PLEIADES.* 

Long,  long  ago,  in  the  beginning  of  this  world,  there  lived  an  old 
woman  with  seven  children,  who  were  all  boys.  The  boys  were  full  of 
life  and  fun  and  they  would  go  away  from  the  others  and  play  all  the 
day  long,  and  would  not  work,  nor  take  time  to  eat  but  twice  a  day — 
morning  and  evening.  When  they  came  home  in  the  evening  their 
mother  would  scold  them,  and  one  evening  when  they  came  home  late 
for  their  supper  their  mother  would  not  let  them  have  anything  to  eat. 
The  boys  were  very  angry  and  went  back  to  their  play  and  determined 
on  the  morrow  to  go  away  where  they  would  never  trouble  her  any 
more.  The  next  morning  early  they  went  down  to  their  playground 
before  breakfast  and  began  to  go  round  and  round  the  house,  praying  to 
the  spirits  to  help  them.  At  last  their  mother  noticed  and  heard  what 
they  were  saying,  and  as  she  watched  them  she  noticed  that  their  feet 
were  off  the  earth,  and  then  she  knew  that  something  was  wrong,  and 
she  ran  out  trying  to  get  her  children,  but  it  was  too  late.  With  every 
round  they  rose  higher  and  higher  in  the  air,  and  were  soon  above  the 
roof  of  the  house.  They  circled  higher  and  higher  until  they  went  up 
to  the  sky,  where  we  can  see  them  now  as  the  Seven  Stars.  These 
seven  boys  who  were  taken  to  the  sky  were  very  indolent,  and  when 
the  work  time  came  they  would  always  slip  off  and  play.  That  is  the 
reason  that  during  the  winter  months  the  Seven  Stars  can  be  seen  ;  but 
at  the  beginning  of  the  spring  months,  at  the  work  time,  the  Seven 
Stars  are  gone. 

37.  THE  LOST  TIMBER  SPIRITS.! 

When  the  world  was  new  the  old  man,  Coyote,  decided  that  if  a  man, 
woman,  or  child  died  they  should  return  to  the  earth  again  after  ten  days. 
Finally  Coyote  made  another  rule,  and  that  was  that  when  anybody 
died  and  was  buried  within  six  days  he  should  stay  under  the  ground, 
but  if  not  buried  by  the  seventh  day  he  might  escape.  If  caught  before 
he  succeeded  in  getting  away  he  was  to  be  brought  back  home.  When 
the  person  was  caught,  a  fire  was  kindled  all  around  him ;  but  finally 
he  threw  off  the  fire  from  him,  and  then  was  taken  back  to  his  home, 

*  Told  by  Wing.  |  Told  by  Short-Man. 


THE   lyOST  TIMBER   SPIRITS.  65 

where  he  was  kept  for  six  days  and  nights.  At  the  end  of  the  sixth 
day  some  old  woman  washed  him,  and  then  they  let  him  go,  and  he 
became  a  real  person  again. 

When  a  person  dies  they  dig  a  hole  in  the  ground  about  four  or  five 
feet  long  and  about  three  or  four  feet  wide — according  to  the  size  of 
the  person — and  the  body  is  laid  head  toward  the  west  and  feet  toward 
the  east.  One  of  the  family  builds  a  fire  at  the  feet  of  the  person,  and 
this  fire  should  be  kept  up  for  six  days  and  nights.  Very  often  the 
person  forgets  to  keep  up  the  fire  and  lets  it  go  out  before  the  end  of 
the  sixth  day,  and  when  this  happens  they  find  that  the  grave  is  open 
and  tracks  are  seen  leading  toward  the  east.  They  follow  the  tracks 
sometimes  and  overtake  the  dead  person,  but  generally  he  gets  away 
from  them  when  they  do  overtake  him.  They  build  the  fire  all  around 
the  dead  person;  the  wood  for  that  purpose  is  cedar  and  mulberry  trees, 
and  the  sparks  from  the  fire  get  on  the  person.  At  first  the  dead  person 
pays  no.  attention,  but  the  people  keep  on  building  up  the  fire  until  the 
dead  person  begins  to  look  around  and  tries  to  escape  the  sparks  from 
the  fire.  Then  they  know  the  dead  person  is  coming  to  life  again,  for 
he  is  beginning  to  feel,  and  then  they  take  hold  of  him  and  bring  him 
back  home,  where  he  is  kept  for  six  days  and  nights.  At  the  sixth 
day,  in  the  early  evening,  some  one  of  the  family  would  bathe  him, 
and  then  he  would  live  again.  When  the  dead  person  is  not  caught  he 
becomes  something  like  a  very  large  monkey,  and  lives  in  the  thickets 
and  timber.  Whenever  the  people  meet  a  dead  person  he  talks  to  them, 
and  so  the  people  think  that  dead  people  are  crazy  people.  They  do 
not  know  where  their  homes  are  or  who  their  relatives  are,  and  so  they 
go  off  and  stay  in  the  woods  or  among  the  wild  animals.  That  is  the 
reason  that  large  monkeys  are  called  "the  last  people  in  the  thickets." 
When  any  one  or  two  people  go  out  to  hunt  in  the  thickets  or  woods 
they  always  meet  these  monkeys,  and  monkeys  always  ask  for  a  wrest- 
ling match.  They  are  very  strong  little  men,  and  if  the  people  do  not 
pay  any  attention  to  them,  they  bother  them  all  night  long.  These 
creatures  are  still  living,  but  they  do  not  talk  as  they  did  when  the 
world  was  new. 

38.  THE  MAN  WHO  TURNED  INTO  A  SNAKE  * 

One  time  two  boys  who  were  close  friends  went  out  hunting.  They 
met  a  large  snake,  and  one  of  the  boys  killed  it  and  cooked  it.  The 
other  boy  begged  him  not  to  eat  it,  but  to  eat  the  buffalo  meat  that  he 
had  prepared  ;  but  the  boy  would  not  listen  to  him  and  ate  the  snake 
meat.  That  was  in  the  evening.  The  next  morning  the  boy  who  had 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


66  TRADITIONS   OF  THE   CADDO. 

eaten  the  snake  meat  began  to  turn  into  a  snake.  After  another  day 
and  night  he  had  completely  turned  into  a  snake.  He  told  his  friend 
to  go  to  the  mountain  and  find  a  hole  for  him  to  live  in.  The  friend 
found  a  hole  and  carried  the  snake  to  it.  The  snake  told  him  to  go  to 
their  village  and  tell  his  people  what  had  happened  to  him,  and  to  tell 
them  that  whenever  they  went  to  hunt  to  stop  and  offer  presents  to  him 
and  he  would  help  them  in  the  hunt.  The  snake  lived  there  for  many 
years,  until  the  lightning  killed  him. 

39.  THE  WOMAN  WHO  TURNED  INTO  A  SNAKE* 

A  long  time  ago  there  lived  a  man  and  his  wife  and  a  dog.  At  that 
time  the  animals  talked  like  human  beings,  and  so  the  dog  talked  to  the 
man  and  woman.  Every  day  the  man  went  out  to  hunt,  and  as  soon  as 
he  was  gone  his  wife  always  went  away  and  never  returned  until  even- 
ing, just  before  her  husband  came.  He  did  not  know  that  she  left  home 
in  his  absence  until  one  time  his  dog  said  :  ' '  I  believe  you  ought  to  know 
that  your  wife  goes  away  and  stays  all  the  time  that  you  are  gone. ' ' 
The  man  told  his  dog  to  follow  her  the  next  time  she  went  away. 
Early  the  next  morning  the  man  started  out  hunting  and  the  woman 
left  home  as  usual.  The  dog  followed  her,  but  stayed  a  good  distance 
behind,  so  that  she  did  not  know  that  he  had  followed  her.  She  went 
to  the  large  timber  and  stopped  at  one  of  the  large  trees  and  stood  there 
looking  up,  and  then  after  she  had  stood  there  for  some  time  she  whis- 
tled once,  and  then  again  and  again.  The  third  time  she  whistled  the 
dog  saw  something  moving  out  from  a  large  hole  in  the  tree,  and  finally 
the  dog  saw  that  it  was  a  big  snake.  The  snake  came  down  to  the 
ground  and  went  straight  to  the  woman,  and  began  crawling  up  on  her 
and  coiling  round  and  round  her  body.  Finally  the  snake  began  to 
move  away  from  her  and  crept  back  to  the  hole  in  the  tree.  That  night 
the  dog  told  the  man  what  he  had  seen.  The  next  day  the  man  made 
many  arrows  and  told  his  wife  that  he  and  the  dog  were  going  out  fish- 
ing. Instead  of  going  down  to  fish  they  went  to  the  place  where  the 
snake  was,  and  when  they  were  there  the  man  went  near  to  the  tree  and 
whistled  three  times.  The  snake  began  to  creep  out,  and  when  it  had 
reached  the  ground  the  man  shot  it  and  killed  it,  and  then  cut  it  up  in 
very  small  pieces,  so  that  the  pieces  looked  like  pieces  of  fish.  They 
went  down  to  the  river  and  began  to  fish,  and  they  caught  a  few  small 
fish  and  took  them  home.  When  they  arrived  at  their  home  the  man 
told  his  wife  that  he  was  going  to  cook  the  fish  himself,  and  told  her  to 
go  in  the  grass  house  until  the  dinner  was  brought  to  her.  She  went, 

*Told  by  Annie  Wilson. 


THE   WOMAN   WHO   TURNED   INTO   A   SNAKE.  67 

and  the  man  began  to  cook  the  fish  and  the  snake  flesh.  When  he  was 
through  he  took  the  snake  flesh  to  his  wife  for  her  dinner.  He  and  the 
dog  ate  the  fish.  He  sent  the  dog  into  the  grass  house  to  see  what  his 
wife  was  doing,  and  the  dog  saw  that  she  was  eating  the  snake.  He 
was  sent  in  the  second  time,  and  he  saw  that  she  was  scratching  herself 
all  over  her  body.  Every  place  she  scratched  herself  the  skin  would  turn 
the  color  of  the  snake  skin,  until  she  finally  turned  into  a  snake.  She 
crept  away  from  the  grass  lodge  and  went  to  find  the  snake,  for  she  did 
not  know  that  he  was  dead.  Some  time  after,  the  man  went  out  hunt- 
ing and  he  came  to  a  large  tree.  He  heard  something  making  a  noise 
inside  of  the  tree  and  finally  saw  a  large  snake  come  out  from  the  tree. 
He  knew  that  it  was  his  wife,  but  he  passed  on. 

40.   HOW  OWL  FOOLED  THE  GIRLS  WHO  WANTED  TO  MARRY  THE 

CHIEF.* 

One  time  there  lived  an  old  man  and  woman  who  had  two  beautiful 
twin  daughters.  These  girls  heard  of  a  chief  who  lived  in  another  vil- 
lage, and  rumors  of  his  great  wealth  and  his  fame  as  a  great  chief  had 
traveled  far.  The  girls  asked  their  parents  if  they  might  not  go  to  the 
chief  and  offer  themselves  in  marriage.  Their  parents  consented,  and 
so  the  girls  started  to  the  chief's  village.  They  did  not  know  just 
where  the  village  was,  but  they  started  in  the  direction  that  they  thought 
it  was,  and  decided  to  ask  the  first  person  they  met  to  direct  them. 
They  traveled  along  for  a  time  and  then  met  a  man  with  a  turkey  in 
his  hand  coming  down  the  road.  They  stopped  him  and  began  to  talk 
to  him.  ' '  We  want  to  marry  this  famous  chief,  for  we  hear  that  he  is 
good  and  very  wealthy,  but  we  do  not  know  him.  We  have  never  seen 
him,  we  have  not  even  been  to  his  village,  and  perhaps  we  would  not 
know  him  if  we  should  see  him."  The  man  grinned  to  himself  and 
said  :  "I  am  the  chief  and  I  live  just  a  little  way  from  here  ;  I  have 
been  away  attending  a  council.  Well,  I  must  say  that  I  am  willing, 
but  wait  here  while  I  run  on  home  and  tell  my  grandmother. ' ' 

The  girls  waited.  They  thought  it  strange  that  so  great  a  chief 
should  have  to  tell  his  grandmother,  but  they  said  nothing.  The  man, 
who  was  no  other  than  Owl,  ran  on  to  his  home,  and  calling  his  grand- 
mother, said  :  ' '  Clean  up  the  lodge  and  put  it  in  order.  I  am  going  to 
bring  home  two  girls  whom  I  am  playing  a  joke  on.  They  think  I  am 
the  rich  chief  and  want  to  marry  me."  After  they  had  cleaned  the 
lodge,  for  it  was  very  disorderly,  Owl  said :  "I  am  going  to  put  this 
turkey  which  I  have  brought  home  over  my  bed  ;  when  you  get  up  in 
the  morning  ask  me  which  turkey  you  shall  cook  and  pretend  to  point 

*Told  by  Wing. 


68  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

to  one,  and  I  will  say,  '  No,  take  this.'  Then  the  girls  will  think  that 
we  have  many  turkeys  and  many  good  things  to  eat." 

Owl  went  back  for  the  girls  and  brought  them  to  his  grandmother's 
lodge.  They  were  pleased,  for  everything  looked  neat  and  nice,  and 
so  they  married  Owl.  Every  day  Owl  came  in  with  a  turkey,  and  he 
always  pretended  to  have  been  out  hunting.  Really  he  had  been  at 
the  council,  and  the  chief  gave  him  the  turkey  for  allowing  him  to  sit 
on  his  back.  At  all  the  councils  the  chief  always  sat  on  Owl's  back, 
and  so  he  gave  Owl  a  turkey  every  time  to  repay  him  for  his  trouble 
and  the  pain  of  holding  him  so  long.  After  many  moons  the  twins 
grew  weary  of  nothing  but  turkey  and  they  began  to  suspect  something, 
so  one  day  they  followed  Owl  when  he  went  away.  They  followed 
and  saw  him  go  to  a  large  grass  lodge.  They  peeped  through  an 
opening,  and  there  they  saw  Owl  sitting  in  the  middle  of  the  lodge  with 
the  chief  sitting  on  his  head.  They  gave  a  scream.  Owl  recognized 
their  voices  and  jumped  up,  throwing  the  chief  off  his  head,  and  ran 
home.  He  gave  his  grandmother  a  terrible  scolding  for  letting  the 
girls  follow  him  and  find  him  out.  The  girls  felt  so  ashamed  when 
they  discovered  how  they  had  been  fooled,  that  they  slipped  off  to  their 
home  and  told  their  father  and  mother  their  experience. 

Owl  sat  in  his  lonely  lodge  and  thought  for  a  long  time  about  the 
twin  sisters,  and  the  longer  he  thought  the  more  angry  he  became, 
because  he  had  been  fooled  at  his  own  joke.  Finally,  he  said  to  his 
grandmother  :  "  We  must  kill  the  people,  and  in  order  to  do  that  we 
must  gather  all  the  water,  from  the  smallest  to  the  largest  rivers  and 
the  springs  and  the  lakes.  We  will  have  to  dig  a  big  hole  here,  and 
when  we  finish  the  hole  we  will  begin  to  dam  the  waters  out  from  all 
the  rivers,  springs,  and  lakes."  They  worked  long  and  hard,  and  the 
people  did  not  notice  that  the  creeks,  lakes,  and  springs  were  getting 
low  until  they  were  dry. 

The  water  was  gone  and  the  people  were  dying  of  thirst,  while  Owl 
splashed  and  swam  about  in  the  water  in  the  big  hole  where  he  had  all 
the  waters  of  the  earth.  Kvery  one  went  out  to  search  for  water,  and 
Crow,  who  was  snow  white  then,  went  with  the  others.  He  came  to  a 
field  where  the  grass  was  all  dried  and  withered  for  want  of  water,  and 
big  grasshoppers  were  jumping  about  in  the  grass.  Crow  ran  after  them 
and  made  such  a  loud  noise  in  trying  to  catch  them  that  all  the  people 
heard.  They  thought  that  he  had  found  water,  and  so  they  ran  in  great 
haste.  When  they  found  that  Crow  had  not  found  water  they  were  all 
disappointed  and  angry  at  him  for  fooling  them.  Coyote  jumped  on 
Crow  and  rolled  him  about  in  the  black  earth  until  he  was  black,  and 
ever  since  that  time  the  crow  has  always  been  black  as  night.  After  that 


HOW   OWI<   FOOTED   GIRLS   WHO   WANTED   TO   MARRY   CHIEF.       69 

Coyote  made  a  rule  that  if  any  one  made  a  loud  noise  and  aroused  the 
people's  expectations  he  must  either  lead  them  to  water  or  take  a  hard 
whipping.  Turtle  was  traveling  along  one  day  searching  for  water,  as 
they  all  were.  He  went  down  to  the  river  bed,  where  the  water  had 
been,  and  he  fell  into  a  large  crack  in  the  dried  mud.  He  began  to 
halloo  for  help.  The  people  heard  him  and  all  ran  down  to  the  river  bed, 
for  they  thought  surely  he  had  found  water ;  but  when  they  found  he 
was  only  calling  for  help,  Coyote  took  him  out  of  the  crack  and  gave 
him  a  hard  whipping.  He  whipped  him  so  hard  that  he  cracked  his 
shell,  and  to  this  day  turtles  bear  the  markings  of  the  cracks  on  their 
shells. 

One  time  some  one  was  going  along  looking  for  water,  when  he  heard 
a  big  splashing  noise,  and  he  knew  that  it  was  the  sound  of  water.  He 
went  until  he  came  to  the  hole  where  Owl  sat  playing  in  the  water. 
He  went  back  and  told  the  people.  They  gathered  in  council  to  decide 
how  they  could  get  the  water  from  Owl.  They  were  about  to  give  up 
when  Flea  said  that  he  would  go  to  Owl's  lodge  and  try  to  free  the 
water.  He  went,  and  as  he  entered  the  lodge  Owl's  grandmother  was 
about  to  take  a  bath.  She  had  a  big  jar  full  of  water  sitting  in  front  of 
her.  Flea  slipped  up  to  her,  crawled  up  her  leg,  and  bit  her  ;  she  gave 
a  big  kick  and  upset  the  jar.  When  Owl  saw  the  water  running  in 
every  direction  he  opened  his  eyes  wide  in  astonishment,  and  they  have 
always  looked  that  way  ever  since.  All  the  people  felt  very  grateful  to 
Flea,  and  Coyote  put  him  on  his  back  that  he  might  have  a  good  warm 
home. 

41.  THE  POOR  HUNTER  AND  THE  ALLIGATOR  POWER.* 

One  time  the  hunters  went  out  on  a  two  months'  hunt.  They  took 
their  wives  with  them.  After  they  had  gone  a  long  distance  from  home 
they  camped.  Among  these  hunters  was  a  poor  man  and  his  wife  who 
were  hungry  and  starving,  while  every  one  else  was  killing  plenty  of 
game  and  having  an  abundance  to  eat.  The  poor  man  would  go  out 
to  hunt  from  early  in  the  morning  till  sundown  and  come  home  with 
nothing  to  eat.  He  continued  to  hunt  day  after  day,  expecting  to  find 
deer  or  some  game,  but  always  returned  without  anything.  The 
people  would  not  give  him  anything  to  eat  and  would  make  fun  of  the 
unfortunate  man  because  he  could  not  kill  anything.  One  morning 
he  arose  early  and  started  out  and  hunted  all  morning.  About  noon 
he  heard  some  one  calling  him,  and  the  person  was  a  long  distance 
away.  He  started  to  see  who  it  was  and  what  was  the  matter  with 

*Told  by  White-Bread. 


70  TRADITIONS  OF  THE  CADDO. 

him,  and  when  he  got  there  he  asked  the  person  why  he  called. 
"  Well,"  said  the  person,  "  I  want  to  find  out  where  there  is  water." 
The  hunter  told  him  there  was  some  water  a  short  distance  from  where 
they  were.  He  did  not  know  who  the  man  was,  for  there  was  no  such 
person  among  his  people.  The  unknown  person  asked  the  man  to 
carry  him  to  the  water,  so  the  hunter  told  him  to  get  on  his  back  and 
he  would  carry  him.  When  they  reached  the  water  the  unknown  man 
told  the  hunter  to  take  off  his  clothes,  and  so  he  did,  and  then  the 
unknown  man  told  him  to  get  on  his  back,  saying :  ' '  It  is  now  my 
time  to  carry  you  on  my  back.  Shut  your  eyes  and  do  not  open  them 
until  I  say  so."  The  man  obeyed,  and  when  the  unknown  person  told 
him  to  open  his  eyes  he  did  not  know  where  he  was.  Then  the  unknown 
person  told  him  that  he  wanted  him  to  come  and  see  what  he  had.  The 
hunter  looked  and  saw  the  heads  of  all  kinds  of  animals.  "Now," 
said  the  unknown  person,  "there  is  what  I  have  killed,  and  I  will  tell 
you  why  I  brought  you  here.  I  am  going  to  give  you  some  of  my 
powers  that  you  may  kill  game  as  I  do.  Point  out  the  heads  of  the 
animals  that  you  want  to  kill. ' '  The  man  pointed  to  the  largest  deer 
head,  bear  head,  etc.  "And  now,"  said  the  unknown  person,  "you 
must  not  tell  any  one  how  and  where  you  obtained  your  powers.  All 
people  call  me  Alligator,  and  I  will  give  you  these  powers  as  long  as 
you  are  able  to  hunt. ' '  Alligator  then  told  him  to  shut  his  eyes,  and 
when  he  told  him  to  open  them  he  saw  that  he  was  upon  dry  land  once 
more.  Alligator  told  him  to  go  hunting,  and  so  after  he  put  on  his 
clothes  he  started  out  to  hunt. 

He  did  not  go  very  far  until  he  saw  four  big  deer  coming  toward 
him  and  he  killed  every  one  of  them.  He  dressed  them  carefully  and 
then  left  them  while  he  went  to  his  camp.  When  he  reached  his  camp 
he  found  his  wife  there,  but  nothing  to  eat.  He  went  out  and  led  up 
two  of  his  horses  and  asked  his  wife  to  go  with  him.  They  arrived 
at  the  place  and  found  the  four  deer.  The  man  put  two  of  the  deer 
on  one  horse's  back  and  two  on  the  other  one,  and  they  started  back 
to  their  camp.  As  they  came  into  camp  with  their  horses  loaded  with 
meat,  everybody  at  the  camp  saw  them  and  wondered,  for  they  did  not 
think  the  man  could  ever  kill  a  deer.  After  that  time  he  never  failed 
to  bring  back  much  meat  when  out  hunting.  When  the  people  started 
back  to  their  homes  they  discovered  that  this  man,  whom  the  people 
had  always  made  fun  of,  had  been  the  most  successful  of  all  the  hunters. 
He  had  killed  the  most  deer,  and  besides  he  had  killed  the  largest  deer 
that  was  ever  seen  by  the  people,  and  he  had  killed  the  most  bears 
and  the  most  of  every  other  kind  of  game. 


THE   POOR   HUNTER   AND   THE   AUJGATOR   POWER.  71 

The  people  named  him  Deer-Head,  because  of  his  braveness  in  killing 
big  deer.  Deer-Head  lived  with  the  people  many  years  and  was  well 
known  among  his  tribe,  but  one  time  he  disappeared.  It  was  but  a  short 
time  until  the  people  noticed  that  he  was  missing,  and  they  wondered 
what  had  become  of  him. 

Deer-Head  had  only  one  younger  brother,  and  when  the  people  would 
go  and  ask  Deer- Head's  wife  where  he  was  she  could  not  tell,  for  she 
did  not  know  where  he  was  or  what  had  become  of  him.  Finally  one 
of  the  men  went  where  Deer- Head's  little  brother  was,  and  he  asked 
him  if  he  knew  where  his  big,  brave  brother  was,  and  he  replied  that 
his  brother  had  gone  home  ;  that  some  one  came  after  him  during  the 
night  and  had  taken  him  away  that  same  night.  Then  they  asked  him 
if  he  knew  which  direction  they  took,  and  he  said  that  he  did  not  know 
where  he  went,  but  that  he  said  he  was  going  home. 

While  out  hunting  a  long  time  after  this  one  of  the  men  found  a 
large  deer  and  the  deer  did  not  try  to  get  away  from  him.  When  he 
came  near  he  shot  the  deer,  but  the  deer  kept  on  walking  very  slowly 
and  the  man  followed  until  the  deer  finally  went  over  the  hill  where 
the  man  could  not  see  him,  and  then  he  heard  some  one  calling  him  to 
come  on,  and  it  was  the  deer  that  was  talking.  The  man  did  not  keep 
on,  but  turned  and  started  back  home.  When  he  got  home  he  told  the 
whole  story  of  the  deer,  and  then  the  people  thought  the  story  of  the 
deer  was  true,  and  that  Deer- Head  had  changed  into  a  deer. 

42.  THE  BOY  WHO  MARRIED  A  MOUNTAIN-LION.* 

A  little  boy  often  told  his  parents  that  he  was  a  red  mountain-lion. 
No  one  believed  him,  but  they  called  him  Red-Mountain-I/ion.  When 
he  grew  to  manhood  he  was  a  successful  and  famous  hunter.  He  went 
off  alone  for  days  at  a  time  and  always  brought  back  much  game.  One 
time  it  was  noticed  that  he  acted  queerly  when  he  returned  from  the 
hunt,  and  so  the  next  time  he  went  his  brother  followed  him.  He 
tracked  him  through  the  timber  up  the  rocky  side  of  a  mountain. 
He  heard  voices  among  the  rocks,  but  could  not  see  any  one.  He 
climbed  on  until  he  saw  just  above  him  a  cave  in  the  side  of  a  steep 
wall.  He  looked  in  and  saw  his  brother  in  there  with  a  female  moun- 
tain-lion. He  went  home  and  told  what  he  had  seen.  After  a  few 
days  Red-Mountain-Iyion  came  home  and  acted  stranger  than  ever. 
One  time  he  heard  some  men  talking  about  going  to  the  cave  and  killing 
a  mountain-lion  that  some  of  them  had  seen  there.  The  man  started  out 
at  once  and  alone  to  hunt,  and  he  went  straight  toward  the  cave.' 

*Told  by  Wing. 


72  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

The  men  started  out  to  hunt  the  next  day,  and  when  they  came  to 
the  cave  they  saw  the  foot-prints  of  a  man  and  a  mountain-lion  leading 
away  from  it.  They  tracked  them  down  the  mountain  and  up  another, 
and  then  they  gave  up  and  returned  to  their  homes.  The  man  did  not 
return  to  his  people,  but  many  years  afterward  he  was  captured  by  a 
hunting  party  and  carried  to  his  home.  He  decided  to  stay  at  his  home 
then.  One  autumn  he  and  his  brother  decided  to  form  a  war  party. 
The  brother  was  to  be  the  leader,  and  so  he  went  off  to  get  some  power 
before  starting.  He  wandered  about  alone  until  he  found  a  rattlesnake 
skin  and  a  red  mountain-lion's  tail.  He  took  them  and  then  prayed 
to  the  rattlesnake  and  red  mountain-lion  for  their  powers.  Then  he 
returned  home  and  hid  the  skin  and  mountain- lion  tail,  for  he  did  not 
want  his  brother  to  know  what  he  had.  For  some  reason  or  another 
the  war  expedition  was  given  up.  Then  the  man  should  have  thrown 
away  the  skin  and  tail,  for  the  animals  always  want  their  gifts  returned 
if  they  are  not  used  for  the  purpose  they  have  given  them.  If  they 
are  not  used  or  returned  something  always  happens  to  the  man  who  has 
received  them  or  to  some  member  of  his  family. 

A  long  time  after  the  war  party  had  been  given  up  Red-Mountain- 
Lion  awoke  one  morning  and  heard  a  turkey  cackling.  He  slipped  out 
to  catch  the  turkey,  and  while  he  was  slipping  upon  the  turkey  he 
heard  a  rattlesnake  by  the  side  of  him.  He  moved  away  and  heard 
another.  Again  he  jumped  aside  and  heard  still  another. 

The  woman  prepared  the  morning'  meal  and  waited  a  long  time  for 
Red-Mountain-Lion  to  return ;  then  his  brother  was  sent  to  look  for  him. 
His  brother  found  him  unconscious  and  called  some  men  to  help  carry 
him  to  the  lodge.  Red -Mountain- Lion  was  scalped,  but  the  only  tracks 
that  could  be  found  were  those  of  a  mountain-lion,  and  they  were  only 
around  his  head,  and  did  not  come  from  or  lead  to  any  place.  They 
sent  for  the  medicine-man.  He  came  and  after  he  had  examined  Red- 
Mountain-Lion  he  asked  his  brother  if  he  had  not  planned  a  war  expe- 
dition and  prayed  for  power  and  received  gifts  from  the  animals.  The 
brother  admitted  that  he  had.  The  medicine-man  told  him  to  return 
the  gifts  to  the  woods  where  he  had  found  them,  and  told  him  that  his 
brother  should  have  known  better  than  to  have  kept  them,  The  man 
obeyed,  and  then  they  took  Red- Mountain -Lion  to  the  creek  and  bathed 
him,  and  he  recovered,  but  he  was  always  foolish.  He  lived  to  be  an 
old  man,  but  some  one  had  to  kill  him  in  his  old  age,  because  he  became 
more  foolish  and  did  many  evil  things. 


BUFFALO   WOMAN.  73 


A3.  BUFFALO  WOMAN.* 

In  a  village  there  lived  a  cannibal  at  that  time  and  the  people  called 
him  Snow-Bird-with- White- Wings.  He  had  a  handsome  son,  who 
would  not  marry  any  of  his  own  tribe.  The  father  named  his  son 
Braveness  because  he  was  very  brave  in  hunting.  Whenever  he  went 
out  to  hunt  he  brought  home  many  kinds  of  game  that  he  had  killed. 
Many  of  the  young  girls  tried  to  win  him  as  a  husband,  but  Braveness 
would  pay  no  attention  to  any  of  them.  One  night  he  decided  to  go 
hunting  the  next  day.  Early  the  next  morning  he  started  out  toward 
the  west.  While  he  was  going  along  looking  and  watching  for  wild 
animals  he  saw  some  one  sitting  ahead  of  him  under  a  small  elm  tree. 
He  approached  the  person  and  saw  that  it  was  a  woman.  She  called 
him  to  come  where  she  was,  and  he  obeyed  and  saw  that  she  was  very 
beautiful  and  very  young.  She  told  him  that  she  knew  he  was  coming 
there  and  so  she  had  come  to  meet  him.  He  listened  eagerly  to  hear 
what  she  had  to  say.  She  asked  him  if  she  could  stay  with  him,  and 
if  he  would  take  her  to  his  home  and  let  her  become  his  wife.  He 
told  her  that  he  would  take  her  to  his  home,  but  that  she  must  ask  his 
parents  if  she  could  stay  with  him.  They  started  for  his  home  at  once, 
and  when  they  arrived  the  girl  asked  the  old  people  to  let  her  become 
the  young  man's  wife,  and  they  consented.  After  that  the  young  man 
had  some  one  to  love  and  they  lived  happily  for  a  long  time ;  but  one 
time  while  they  were  alone  she  asked  him  if  he  would  do  whatever  she 
said,  and  he  finally  said  that  he  would.  She  asked  him  to  go  with  her 
to  her  home  and  told  him  that  they  would  return  again  some  'day. 

A  few  days  after,  they  started  to  her  home  and  she  led  the  way.  After 
they  had  gone  a  long  way  they  came  to  high  hills,  and  all  at  once  she 
stopped  and  turned  around  and  looked  at  her  husband  and  said  :  ' '  You 
have  promised  me  that  you  will  do  anything  that  I  say."  "Yes,"  said 
he.  "Well,"  said  she,  "my  home  is  on  the  other  side  of  this  large 
hill  which  is  before  us.  I  will  tell  you  when  we  get  to  my  mother.  I 
know  there  will  be  many  people  coming  there  to  see  who  you  are,  and 
they  will  bother  you  and  try  to  get  you  angry,  but  do  not  get  angry  at 
any  of  them.  The  young  men  will  try  to  kill  you  in  some  way.  Listen 
to  what  I  am  about  to  tell  you.  I  was  just  like  you  when  I  met  you. 
I  knew  you,  but  you  did  not  know  me.  I  was  the  one  who  made  you 
come  there  to  find  me.  I  have  said  that  some  of  the  young  men  will 
try  to  get  you  angry,  and  when  they  get  you  angry  at  them  one  of 
them  will  jump  on  you,  and  when  they  see  that  you  are  going  to  try  to 

*Told  by  White-Bread. 

6D 


74  TRADITIONS   OP   THE   CADDO. 

fight  they  will  all  get  after  you  and  will  not  let  you  go  until  they  have 
killed  you.  They  are  jealous  of  you.  The  reason  is  that  I  have  re- 
fused many  of  them  when  they  have  asked  me.  I  have  told  you  what 
to  do  when  we  get  there,  and  now  I  want  you  to  lay  down  on  the 
ground  and  roll  over  twice."  The  man  did,  and  when  he  arose  he  had 
changed  into  a  Buffalo.  The  woman  sat  there  watching  him  for  a 
moment ;  then  she  did  the  same  thing  and  became  a  Buffalo.  They 
started  on  climbing  the  high  hill,  and  when  they  reached  the  top  of  the 
hill  the  Buffalo  man  looked  down  toward  the  west.  He  saw  thousands 
and  thousands  of  Buffalo.  Then  the  woman  told  him  that  they  were 
her  people.  When  the  herd  saw  these  two  coming  they  began  to  move 
to  one  certain  place,  as  though  to  wait  there  and  see  who  was  coming. 
The  woman  kept  on  leading  Braveness.  He  followed  her  until  she  came 
to  an  old  Buffalo  cow  and  then  they  stopped,  and  Braveness  knew  that 
she  was  the  mother  of  his  beautiful  wife.  They  stayed  there  for  a 
long  time.  Every  now  and  then  four  or  five  of  the  young  Buffalo 
would  come  around  and  bother  Braveness,  and  so  they  decided  to  go 
back  again  to  Braveness'  home.  On  the  way  they  stopped  at  the  place 
where  they  had  turned  themselves  into  Buffalo.  The  Buffalo  woman 
told  him  to  do  the  same  thing  that  he  had  done  before,  and  so  he  rolled 
over  twice  and  became  as  he  was  before,  and  then  she  did  the  same. 
While  they  were  going  she  told  him  not  to  mention  the  transformation 
or  her  people  to  any  one.  When  they  reached  home  his  father,  Snow- 
Bird-with-White- Wings,  asked  him  where  he  had  been,  and  he  told  his 
father  that  he  had  been  hunting  and  then  had  gone  down  to  his  wife's 
home,  and  his  father  did  not  ask  him  any  more  questions. 

They  stayed  at  home  about  one  year,  and  then  they  made  up  their 
minds  to  go  again  and  see  the  woman's  mother.  After  they  had  been 
living  with  the  Buffalo  a  long  time  his  wife  told  him  that  the  old  people 
were  talking  about  killing  him  ;  that  they  were  going  to  have  a  foot 
race  and  that  they  intended  that  he  should  run  in  this  foot  race.  When 
he  heard  all  this  he  was  worried  and  did  not  know  what  to  do.  That 
night  he  could  not  sleep,  and  he  went  out  to  take  a  long  walk.  He 
went  a  long  way  and  walked  very  slowly.  He  heard  some  one  calling, 
but  could  not  see  the  person,  for  it  was  a  very  dark  night.  The  unknown 
person  said  to  him  :  ' '  You  are  very  young,  but  you  must  remember  you 
can  not  beat  those  Buffalo  running  without  my  help,  and  I  know  what 
they  are  going  to  do  with  you  when  the  race  is  over.  If  they  beat  you 
running  they  are  going  to  kill  you,  and  so  I  am  going  to  help  you  to 
win.  If  I  do  it  there  are  others  who  will  also  help  you.  If  you  win 
the  race  they  will  let  j^ou  have  this  woman  all  to  yourself  and  will  not 
bother  you  any  more."  Then  the  unknown  person  told  Braveness  to 


BUFFALO   WOMAN.  75 

hold  out  his  hand,  and  when  he  did  this  the  unknown  person  placed  a 
small  medicine  root  in  it  and  said  :  "At  the  start  you  will  leave  them 
a  long  way  behind,  but  finally  some  one  of  them  will  catch  up  with 
you,  but  he  will  not  stay  with  you  long.  Remember,  whenever  he 
comes  up  with  you,  to  throw  this  medicine  down  behind  you  and  you 
will  leave  him  again  a  long  way  behind.  Then  some  one  else  will 
catch  up  with  you  again,  and  here  is  another  medicine  to  throw  behind 
you  when  the  second  man  overtakes  you.  This  medicine  is  mud,  and 
you  must  throw  it  down  when  they  come  too  close  to  you.  Soon  after 
you  have  thrown  the  mud  you  will  be  near  the  stopping  place  ;  there 
I  will  meet  you." 

The  next  day  was  the  day  of  the  race.  At  about  sunrise  Braveness 
saw  the  Buffalo  coming  in  from  all  directions  to  see  the  race.  While  he 
stood  watching  them,  an  old  Buffalo  came  and  told  him  that  the  young 
Buffalo  would  like  to  have  him  run  in  a  foot  race  with  them.  He  went 
with  the  old  man  to  the  place  where  the  runners  started.  When  the 
young  Buffalo  saw  him  coming  they  all  made  fun  of  him.  When  he 
joined  them  they  lined  up  for  the  race.  Braveness  placed  himself  in  their 
midst  and  they  started.  Braveness  left  the  Buffalo  a  long  way  behind 
at  the  start,  and  they  had  to  run  long  and  hard  before  they  could  come 
near  him.  When  he  saw  them  gaining  on  him  he  threw  the  root  behind 
him  that  the  unknown  person  had  given  him.  He  was  almost  winded 
and  thought  he  could  not  run  any  more,  when  he  saw  that  he  was  far 
ahead  of  all  of  them  again.  The  next  time  it  took  them  longer  to  come 
up  to  him,  but  finally  he  gave  out,  and  then  one  of  the  Buffalo  began  to 
gain  on  him.  When  the  Buffalo  was  about  to  catch  up,  Braveness  threw 
the  mud,  his  last  medicine,  down  behind  him  and  soon  he  was  far  ahead 
again.  He  knew  that  he  had  used  all  of  his  medicine,  and  he  knew 
not  what  would  happen  to  him  next,  but  he  kept  on  running.  When 
he  was  nearing  the  goal,  he  could  hear  the  others  coming  close  behind 
him,  for  some  of  them  were  gaming  on  him  and  he  was  giving  out. 
He  did  not  know  what  to  do,  but  just  as  one  of  the  Buffalo  was  about 
to  catch  up  with  him,  a  heavy  wind  came  up  and  greatly  assisted  and 
kept  the  Buffalo  far  behind  him  until  he  crossed  the  goal  and  won  the 
race.  Because  wind  had  helped  him  at  the  last  moment,  he  knew  that 
it  was  wind  that  had  talked  to  him  and  had  given  him  the  medicine 
and  thus  saved  his  life.  After  the  race  he  stayed  with  the  Buffalo 
people  for  a  long  time  and  no  one  ever  molested  him  again. 

Finally  he  and  his  wife  went  back  to  live  with  his  people.  They  had 
one  child,  and  when  it  was  about  one  year  old  they  decided  to  go  again 
to  see  the  wife's  people,  so  that  her  parents  might  see  their  grandson. 
They  went  and  remained  with  the  Buffalo  three  years,  and  then  they 


76  TRADITIONS  OF  THE   CADDO. 

returned  to  Braveness'  home.  The  child's  mother  would  not  let  him 
go  out  and  play  with  the  other  boys,  for  she  was  afraid  he  might  do 
things  that  he  ought  not  to  do  ;  but  one  time,  while  she  was  cooking 
dinner,  the  boy  slipped  away  from  her  and  went  down  where  the  other 
boys  were  playing.  When  he  joined  them  they  began  to  play  that  they 
were  Buffalo.  The  little  boy  began  to  play  with  them.  He  laid  down 
to  roll  like  a  Buffalo,  and  when  he  rolled  over  twice  he  got  up  a  real 
Buffalo  calf,  and  the  boys  began  to  run  from  him.  Just  at  this  time  his 
mother  had  missed  him  and  she  looked  down  where  the  boys  were 
playing.  She  saw  them  running  and  thought  something  must  be  wrong. 
She  went  to  see  what  the  trouble  was  and  there  she  found  her  son  changed 
into  a  Buffalo  calf.  She  took  him  and  ran  down  the  hill,  and  then  she 
dropped  down  on  the  hill  and  became  a  Buffalo,  and  then  ran  away 
before  her  husband  came  back  from  hunting.  When  he  came  back  he 
could  not  find  his  wife  or  his  son,  and  then  some  one  told  him  what 
had  happened  while  he  was  gone.  At  first  he  could  not  believe  what 
he  heard,  but  soon  he  went  down  to  the  place  where  they  had  rolled 
and  saw  their  tracks,  and  then  he  believed  the  story.  He  never  heard 
of  them  again. 

44.  THE  GIRL  WHO  MARRIED  WILD-CAT.* 

A  father  and  mother  had  three  sons  and  a  daughter.  The  girl  was 
very  beautiful,  but  very  proud,  and  refused  the  attentions  of  the  many 
young  men  who  came  to  court  her.  One  time  a  handsome  youth  came 
to  their  home  and  ate  with  them  and  talked  to  her  father  and  brothers, 
but  paid  no  attention  to  her.  After  he  had  spent  the  evening  he  arose 
and  went  home.  The  girl  thought  she  had  never  seen  so  handsome  a 
young  man,  and  she  wondered  why  he  had  not  sought  her  as  all  the 
others  had.  She  went  to  bed  and  thought  of  him  for  a  long  time  ;  then 
she  fell  asleep  and  dreamed  of  him.  She  dreamed  that  she  saw  him 
coming  to  her,  and  finally  she  awoke  and  lay  still  for  a  long  time  listen- 
ing and  waiting  to  see  if  her  dreams  were  true.  She  heard  a  faint 
noise,  and  she  closed  her  eyes  and  prayed  that  her  dream  would  come 
true.  When  she  opened  her  eyes  the  young  man  was  bending  over  her 
begging  her  to  go  with  him.  She  arose  and  followed  him  out  into  the 
darkness. 

When  they  were  a  long  way  from  home  the  man  told  her  that  he 
was  not  a  real  person,  but  an  animal,  the  Wild- Cat,  and  he  told  her 
that  if  she  wanted  to  go  home  he  would  take  her  back.  She  refused 
to  go  back,  saying  that  she  wanted  to  go  with  him,  no  matter  what  he 
was.  Then  he  told  her  that  her  three  brothers  were  already  on  their 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


THE   GIRL  WHO   MARRIED   WILD-CAT.  77 

trail,  and  that  they  were  very  angry  with  him  for  taking  her  off.  They 
hurried  on  until  they  came  to  the  mountains.  They  climbed  a  high 
mountain,  and  then  Wild- Cat  told  the  girl  to  wait  there  for  him.  He 
went  away  and  disappeared  among  the  trees  and  rocks,  but  soon  re- 
turned with  another  large  Wild- Cat,  who  he  said  was  his  grandfather. 
While  the  three  sat  down  to  rest  and  talk  they  heard  voices,  and  the 
girl  knew  that  they  were  her  brothers'  voices.  They  arose  and  ran 
deep  into  the  forest,  but  still  they  could  hear  the  voices  from  the  three 
brothers,  who  were  gaining  on  them.  At  last  they  caught  up  with 
them  and  were  very  angry.  They  were  going  to  fight  the  Wild- Cats, 
who,  of  course,  were  dressed  like  men,  so  the  brothers  did  not  know 
that  they  were  Wild- Cats.  The  sister  cried  and  promised  her  brothers 
that  she  would  soon  return  to  her  home  if  they  would  go  and  leave 
them.  The  brothers  at  last  yielded  to  her  requests  and  went  back 
home  and  told  her  father  and  mother  all  that  had  happened.  The 
father  became  very  angry  and  swore  that  he  would  find  his  daughter 
and  kill  her  or  the  man.  He  went  to  the  mountains  and  wandered 
about  in  search  of  her  for  many  days,  without  food  or  drink  or  sleep, 
until  he  died. 

45.  THE  WOMAN  WHO  TRIED  TO  KILL  HER  SON.* 

At  the  beginning  of  this  world  the  people  and  animals  could  under- 
stand each  other  and  visited  each  other.  There  lived  in  those  times  a 
man  and  wife  and  one  child,  a  boy  about  seven  years  of  age.  The 
people  called  the  man  Hunter,  because  he  was  very  fond  of  hunting 
and  hunted  from  morning  until  evening.  While  he  was  out,  his  wife, 
who  was  a  very  cross  woman,  abused  her  own  boy,  as  she  always  did, 
because  she  disliked  him.  She  told  the  boy  to  stay  at  home  while  she 
went  away  for  a  short  time.  She  went  out  and  was  gone  for  a  long 
time.  Finally  she  came  back  and  told  the  boy  to  go  along  with  her. 
While  she  was  gone  she  had  been  working  hard  digging  a  deep  hole  in 
the  ground,  and  when  she  went  after  the  boy  she  took  him  to  the  hole 
and  threw  him  in.  The  hole  was  so  deep  that  it  was  impossible  for 
the  boy  to  get  out.  She  put  some  brush  over  it  to  keep  any  one  from 
finding  him.  When  Hunter  returned  home  he  asked  his  wife  where 
his  son  was,  and  she  told  him  she  did  not  know  where  he  was ;  that 
she  had  been  looking  for  him  all  day  long.  Then  they  both  went  out 
to  look  for  the  boy,  but  she  would  not  take  the  man  near  the  place 
where  the  hole  was,  and  so  they  did  not  find  him.  They  looked  until 
night,  and  again  the  next  day  and  the  next. 

*Told  by  Annie  Wilson. 


78  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

In  the  meantime  the  boy  was  growing  very  hungry,  and  so  he  began 
to  cry.  Finally  he  heard  some  one  making  a  noise  at  the  edge  of  the 
hole,  but  he  could  not  see  who  it  was,  and  so  kept  quiet,  for  he  was 
afraid.  Some  one  spoke  to  him,  saying:  "Boy,  you  are  weary  and 
hungry  and  I  have  come  down  to  help  you  out  of  this  hole.  Now,  do 
not  be  afraid  of  me,  but  catch  hold  of  my  tail  and  climb  up. ' '  The 
boy  obeyed,  and  when  he  came  out  of  the  hole  he  found  that  the  person 
was  Coyote.  Coyote  asked  the  boy  if  he  would  go  along  with  him,  and 
the  boy  said  that  he  would,  and  so  they  went  on  to  Coyote's  home. 
He  was  kept  there  for  three  or  four  years  and  was  kindly  treated  and 
was  happy.  One  day  he  asked  Coyote  to  let  him  go  home  and  see  his 
father.  He  said  :  ' '  I  do  not  want  to  see  my  mother  ;  I  am  very  angry 
at  her,  and  I  am  going  to  try  to  kill  her,  but  I  want  to  see  my  father, 
for  he  loved  me  and  was  kind  to  me.  I  am  going  to  tell  my  father 
how  my  mother  treated  me,  and  then  he  will  help  me  kill  her.  I  will 
take  my  father  and  mother  on  a  buffalo  hunt  when  I  get  home,  and 
toward  evening  we  will  kill  a  buffalo.  I  want  you  and  your  children 
to  come  near  and  howl,  and  then  I  will  tell  my  mother  to  come  with 
me  to  give  you  some  meat.  When  we  go  among  you  I  will  push  her 
over,  and  then  I  want  you  and  your  children  to  jump  upon  her  and 
kill  her." 

Coyote  consented,  and  so  the  boy  went  to  his  home.  He  arrived  one 
evening  and  his  father  was  very  glad  to  see  him.  He  asked  his  father 
if  they  could  go  out  buffalo  hunting  on  the  next  day,  and  he  told  his 
father  all  about  what  he  was  going  to  do  with  his  mother.  The  next 
day  they  went  out  buffalo  hunting,  and  he  and  his  father  found  a  herd 
of  buffalo  and  killed  one  that  evening.  They  made  a  camp  near  by, 
and  while  the  woman  was  cooking  their  supper  they  heard  the  Coyotes 
howling.  After  they  had  eaten  their  supper  the  boy  told  his  mother 
to  get  some  meat  and  come  with  him  to  feed  the  Coyotes.  He  told  her 
to  carry  the  meat  on  her  back.  She  put  the  meat  on  her  back,  and 
then  they  started  out  toward  the  Coyotes,  and  the  boy  walked  behind 
his  mother.  The  woman  was  afraid,  for  it  was  almost  dark,  but  the 
boy  told  her  not  to  be  frightened,  for  there  was  no  danger  ahead  of 
them  and  that  nothing  would  hurt  her.  They  kept  on  going  until 
they  came  to  the  Coyotes.  The  boy  told  his  mother  not  to  be  afraid, 
but  to  go  among  them  and  give  them  the  meat.  As  she  took  another 
step  forward  the  boy  pushed  her  down,  and  then  the  Coyotes  jumped 
upon  her.  The  boy  came  back  to  his  father  and  told  him  all  that  had 
happened.  The  father  and  son  lived  together  for  many  years. 


THE  jEAIvOUS   HUSBAND.  79 

46.  THE  JEALOUS  HUSBAND.* 

One  time  the  people  decided  to  go  on  the  war-path,  and  when  they 
were  about  to  start  they  selected  one  man  to  be  their  leader.  They 
started  out  and  they  had  to  go  a  long  way  before  they  could  find  the 
enemy.  After  they  had  traveled  several  days,  the  head  man  selected 
from  eight  to  twelve  men  to  go  ahead  and  spy  and  see  if  they  could 
locate  the  enemy.  When  any  of  these  men  located  any  of  the  enemy 
they  would  go  back  and  tell  what  they  had  seen,  and  then  all  the  others 
would  ride  out  to  fight  the  enemy.  The  leader  chose  for  spies  two  men 
who  were  very  close  friends  and  who  would  always  go  together  from 
place  to  place.  One  of  these  two  was  married  and  the  other  was  single. 
One  day  they  went  out  for  some  distance,  and  after  they  had  gone 
about  two  miles,  climbing  up  and  down  the  hills,  they  came  to  a  high 
hill,  almost  like  a  mountain.  They  decided  to  climb  up  this  mountain 
so  they  could  look  far  out  over  the  country.  They  found  on  top  a  big 
hole  in  the  rock  that  looked  like  an  old  well,  and  when  they  looked 
down  into  the  hole  they  saw  water.  The  married  man  told  his  friend 
to  go  down  in  the  hole  to  get  some  water,  for  they  were  very  thirsty. 
They  had  a  long  buffalo-hide  rope  and  on  this  he  descended.  When  he 
got  to  the  bottom,  he  cried  out  to  his  friend  to  pull  him  up.  Instead  of 
pulling  him  up  he  threw  the  rope  down  the  hole  and  went  away  and 
left  him.  He  started  for  the  camp,  and  when  he  reached  there  he  told 
the  head  man  that  some  of  the  enemy  pursued  them  and  that  his  friend 
was  killed.  It  was  a  custom  for  the  war  party  to  continue  the  journey 
until  they  met  the  enemy  in  open  battle,  but  if  anything  happened  to 
a  member  of  the  party,  or  if  any  member  should  die  through  sickness 
or  be  killed,  otherwise  than  in  open  fight  with  the  enemy,  then  the 
expedition  was  given  up  and  the  entire  party  returned  home.  When 
the  man  told  the  head  man  that  his  friend  had  been  killed,  the  camp 
broke  up  and  all  prepared  to  start  home.  When  they  returned  to  their 
homes,  the  errand-man  was  sent  by  the  chief  to  all  the  camps  to  call  the 
people  together.  When  the  people  came  the  chief  told  them  what  had 
happened. 

The  man  in  the  hole  was  starving,  for  he  had  been  in  there  several 
days  without  food.  Whenever  any  birds  passed  over  him  he  would 
ask  for  help  and  pray  them  to  take  him  out  of  the  hole,  but  the  birds 
did  not  seem  to  take  any  notice  of  him.  One  day,  after  he  had  been 
in  the  hole  nine  days,  there  was  a  certain  kind  of  bird  passed  over  the 
hole  and  the  man  asked  it  for  help.  The  bird  went  on,  but  finally  flew 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


80  TRADITIONS   OF   THE    CADDO. 

over  the  hole,  and  the  man  again  asked  for  help.  The  bird  passed  on 
again,  and  yet  again,  but  the  fourth  time  it  lit  on  the  ground  and  came 
near  to  the  edge  of  the  hole  and  peeped  over  the  rim  and  saw  the  man. 
This  bird  was  Buzzard,  and  Buzzard  told  the  man  not  to  be  worried, 
that  he  would  help  him  out,  but  that  he  must  wait  until  he  went  back 
home  after  some  of  his  medicine  which  he  required.  Buzzard  went  away, 
but  came  back  and  flew  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  hole.  Then  Buzzard 
spoke  to  the  man,  saying  that  he  was  going  to  take  him  to  the  home 
of  the  Buzzards  until  he  was  able  to  walk  home.  The  man  was  told  to 
shut  his  eyes  and  then  take  one  step  forward.  When  he  did  this  he 
stepped  on  Buzzard's  back.  Then  Buzzard  began  to  fly  upward  and 
out  of  the  hole.  Then  Buzzard  told  him  to  open  his  eyes,  and  he  did 
so  and  saw  that  he  was  on  land  again.  The  man  was  not  able  to  walk 
at  all,  and  so  Buzzard  told  him  to  shut  his  eyes  again,  and  they  began 
to  fly  away  from  the  place.  After  a  while  the  man  tried  to  open  his 
eyes  a  very  little,  but  Buzzard  knew  what  he  was  doing  and  told  him 
not  to  do  it  again.  In  a  short  time  they  arrived  at  the  home  of  Buzzard, 
and  while  he  was  there  the  young  man  was  treated  kindly.  After  he 
had  been  there  several  days  Buzzard  asked  him  if  he  would  like  to  see 
his  people,  and  the  man  told  him  that  he  would,  and  then  Buzzard 
called  the  man  over  to  where  he  was,  and  when  he  got  there  Buzzard 
opened  a  very  small  place  which  was  near  where  he  was  sitting.  The 
man  looked  down  below  him  and  could  see  many  Buzzard  people.  Two 
days  after  this  the  man  was  able  to  walk  around  and  to  do  anything, 
and  then  Buzzard  told  him  that  he  was  going  to  take  him  to  his  home 
to  see  his  people  once  more.  Then  Buzzard  told  the  young  man  that 
his  friend  was  jealous  of  him,  and  that  the  reason  he  had  maltreated 
him  was  that  he  had  been  told  he  was  going  to  take  his  wife  away 
from  him.  Buzzard  said  :  "  I  am  going  to  take  you  home,  and  we  will 
reach  your  home  about  dark,  and  when  we  reach  a  place  that  is  near 
to  your  home  I  will  have  to  let  you  off.  Then  you  will  hear  your  friend 
singing  in  his  lodge,  which  is  near  to  yours.  When  you  go  into  your 
lodge  you  will  find  all  of  your  people  there,  and  when  they  see  you, 
tell  them  not  to  cry  or  make  any  kind  of  noise.  Your  own  sister  will 
be  there  and  you  must  tell  her  to  go  after  your  friend's  wife.  She 
will  not  refuse  your  sister,  but  come  right  along  with  her. ' '  They 
started  out  and  Buzzard  told  him  to  shut  his  eyes  again.  When 
Buzzard  told  him  to  open  them  he  could  hear  his  friend  singing,  and 
he  knew  it  was  he  because  he  recognized  his  voice.  When  they  came 
near  to  his  home  Buzzard  told  him  to  get  off  of  his  back.  He  did,  and 
went  straight  to  his  lodge,  and  when  he  went  in  his  sister  was  the  first 
one  to  meet  him.  When  she  came  to  him  she  began  to  cry.  He  told 


THE   JEAI/DUS    HUSBAND.  8 1 

her  not  to  cry,  but  to  keep  quiet.  He  told  them  how  his  friend  had 
treated  him  and  how  Buzzard  had  taken  pity  on  him  and  rescued  him. 
When  he  had  finished  he  told  his  sister  to  go  and  tell  the  woman  to 
come.  She  went  and  told  the  woman  that  she  was  wanted.  She  did 
not  hesitate,  but  went  along  with  the  girl,  and  they  both  came  in  and 
the  woman  saw  her  husband's  friend,  whom  she  thought  was  killed, 
sitting  with  the  others.  The  woman  stayed  with  this  man  and  did  not 
care  to  go  back  to  her  former  husband  any  more. 

The  husband  was  very  sorry  that  he  had  told  the  stories  to  the  head 
man  and  the  chief.  Many  times  after  this  these  men  went  out  on  the 
buffalo  hunt,  and  some  of  the  others  always  watched  him  closely  to  see 
that  he  did  not  harm  any  one  else.  Finally  they  noticed  that  every 
time  they  went  out  he  killed  one  buffalo  first,  and  then  did  not  take  any 
of  the  meat,  but  would  cut  it  up  or  dress  it  as  though  he  were  going  to 
take  it,  and  then  would  scatter  the  meat  as  though  he  were  dividing 
it  out  to  some  people.  The  people  began  to  wonder  what  he  did  that 
for.  After  he  had  prepared  and  scattered  the  meat  of  the  first  buffalo 
he  had  killed  he  would  go  on  and  kill  another  one,  and  then  he  would 
take  his  meat  home.  After  people  had  seen  him  leave  the  meat  of  the 
first  buffalo  many  times  some  one  asked  him  why  he  did  that.  He 
would  not  tell,  but  one  time  his  uncle  came  and  asked  him  why  he  had 
done  that  so  many  times,  and  he  told  him  all  about  it.  He  said  he  had 
lived  with  the  woman  many  years,  and  when  he  should  die  his  wife 
should  drop  dead,  too. 

47.  THE  TURTLE  WHO  CARRIED  THE  PEOPLE  AWAY  * 

One  time  the  people  broke  camp  and  were  traveling  about  looking 
for  a  village  site.  They  traveled  far  until  they  came  near  the  big  water, 
and  there  they  saw  what  they  thought  was  a  large  rock.  They  decided 
to  make  their  village  near  the  rock,  so  they  could  use  it  as  a  dancing 
place.  They  had  several  dances  on  the  rock,  but  not  all  of  the  people 
were  there.  One  time,  after  they  had  been  at  the  village  for  some  time, 
they  sent  the  crier  to  announce  a  big  dance.  All  the  people  came  and 
danced  on  the  smooth,  flat  rock.  While  they  were  dancing  they  noticed 
that  the  rock  began  to  move.  They  watched  it  and  soon  saw  a  big 
head  and  legs  appear  from  under  it.  Then  they  knew  that  they  were 
not  on  a  rock  at  all,  but  on  a  big  turtle.  They  tried  to  get  off,  but 
found  their  feet  stuck  tight.  They  cried  and  called  for  help,  but  the 
turtle  carried  them  down  into  the  water  and  drowned  them. 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


82  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

48.  WHY  DOGS  HAVE  LONG  TONGUES  * 

A  long  time  ago,  when  the  animals  were  like  people,  dogs  were  noted 
for  telling  everything  that  they  knew.  In  those  days  there  were  not  so 
many  dogs  as  now,  but  the  best  families  always  had  a  few  hounds  to 
take  with  them  on  the  hunt.  A  man,  Running- Water,  who  was  a 
great  hunter,  wanted  a  dog  to  help  him  hunt,  but  he  would  not  have  one, 
because  he  hated  to  have  some  one  always  tattling  on  him  and  telling 
everything  that  he  did.  One  time  he  saw  four  little  pups  and  he  de- 
cided to  take  one  of  them  and  try  to  teach  him  not  to  talk  so  much. 
He  took  the  pup  home,  and  every  day,  when  he  played  with  him,  he 
would  talk  to  him  and  try  to  teach  him  not  to  be  a  tattler  like  other 
dogs.  The  pup  grew  and  was  soon  big  enough  to  be  taught  to  hunt. 
Running- Water  began  to  take  him  out  to  hunt  rabbits  and  small  game. 
Every  time  the  man  killed  any  game  the  dog  would  sneak  home  and 
tell ;  then  he  would  return  to  Running- Water  in  a  circuitous  way  and 
come  up  to  him  from  behind,  as  though  he  had  been  hunting  all  the 
time.  Running- Water  knew  that  the  dog  was  trying  to  deceive  him, 
and  he  whipped  and  scolded  him.  After  each  whipping  he  would  stop 
running  off  and  tattling  for  a  little  while,  but  soon  he  would  begin 
again. 

After  a  time  the  dog  was  big  enough  to  go  far  away  into  the  high 
timber  to  hunt  with  his  master.  One  day  Running- Water  told  his 
mother  to  prepare  a  large  quantity  of  food,  for  he  and  his  dog  were 
going  to  the  mountains  to  hunt  and  would  be  gone  many  weeks.  He 
loaded  several  horses  with  provisions  and  started  out,  with  his  dog  for 
his  only  companion.  After  three  days  of  traveling  they  came  to  the 
mountains  and  made  camp.  They  hunted  several  weeks  and  killed  many 
big  animals,  and  then  started  home.  After  a  day's  journey  Running- 
Water  missed  his  dog.  He  called  him  and  searched  for  him  and  then 
went  back  to  camp,  thinking  that  he  had  perhaps  gone  back.  He 
could  not  find  him  there,  and  so  he  gave  him  up  for  lost  and  again 
started  home.  He  did  not  think  the  dog  had  gone  on  home  ahead  of 
him,  for  he  thought  that  he  had  broken  him  of  the  habit  of  running 
home  and  telling  everything  ;  but  when  he  came  home  he  found  the  dog 
there.  He  had  been  there  a  long  time  and  had  told  many  big  stories 
about  the  number  of  bears,  mountain-lions,  deer,  coyotes,  and  other 
animals  that  they  had  killed.  Running- Water  was  more  angry  than 
ever  before,  and  he  said,  '  *  I  will  make  that  dog  stop  tattling  so  much. ' ' 
He  caught  the  dog,  gave  him  a  hard  whipping,  and  told  him  he  would 

*  Told  by  Hinie. 


WHY   DOGS   HAVE   LONG   TONGUES.  83 

pull  his  tongue  out  the  next  time  he  came  home  and  told  everything. 
Then,  being  still  angry,  he  caught  hold  of  the  dog's  tongue  and  pulled 
it  as  hard  as  he  could,  and  then  he  ran  a  stick  across  his  mouth.  Ever 
since  then  dogs  have  had  long  tongues  and  big  mouths. 

49.  WHY  HAWKS  HAVE  THIN  LEGS.* 

Chicken- Hawk  was  a  poor  hunter  and  never  succeeded  in  bringing 
his  family  more  than  a  little  mouse  or  some  game  that  he  had  begged 
from  another  hunter.  One  time  he  met  Kagle  and  asked  him  if  he 
would  not  help  him  kill  an  antelope  that  he  had  seen  not  very  far  away. 
Hawk  pretended  that  he  had  killed  many  such  big  game  before,  and 
acted  as  if  he  were  being  kind  to  Eagle  in  asking  him  to  help  him. 
Eagle  said  he  would  if  he  could  have  half  of  the  meat.  Hawk  said  that 
he  could,  and  so  they  agreed  to  go  hunting  for  the  antelope  the  next 
morning.  Hawk  went  on  home,  and  when  he  arrived  he  told  his  family 
that  he  had  shot  an  antelope  through  the  head,  but  that  he  could  not 
kill  him,  and  so  he  had  run  him  into  a  place  for  the  night,  and  that  he 
would  return  in  the  morning  and  kill  him.  Hawk  arose  the  next 
morning  and  went  to  the  place  where  he  was  to  meet  Eagle.  They 
started  on  the  hunt  and  hunted  half  a  day.  They  found  the  antelope 
in  the  mountain.  Eagle  killed  it,  and  then  Hawk  came  down  and 
they  divided  the  meat.  Eagle  took  his  meat  and  went  away.  Hawk 
took  his  meat  and  went  straight  home  to  vshow  it  to  his  family,  for  he 
was  very  proud  of  it.  He  told  them  that  he  had  met  a  person  who 
had  never  tasted  antelope  meat  and  who  was  a  poor  hunter,  and  so  he 
had  given  him  part  of  his  meat,  but  that  the  person  promised  to  pay 
him  back  some  day.  His  family  were  so  well  pleased  that  they  told 
every  one  what  a  good  hunter  Hawk  was.  One  time,  after  the  ante- 
lope meat  was  gone,  a  friend,  who  had  heard  what  a  good  hunter  Hawk 
was,  came  to  visit  him,  especially  to  see  if  the  reports  were  true.  Hawk 
hunted  all  one  day,  but  returned  with  only  a  mouse.  The  friend 
refused  to  eat  the  mouse.  Again  Hawk  hunted  all  day,  but  could  not 
find  anything.  As  he  was  returning  home  he  felt  so  ashamed,  that 
he  cut  some  of  the  meat  off  of  his  legs  to  take  home  for  his  friend  to 
eat,  rather  than  admit  that  he  had  not  found  any  game.  For  that 
reason  hawks  have  no  meat  on  their  legs. 

*  Told  by  White- Bread. 


84  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 


50.  THE  POWER  OF  BUFFALO  AND  BEAR.* 

One  time  when  the  animals  spoke  many  languages,  and  yet  under- 
stood one  another,  Bear  and  Buffalo  met.  They  commenced  telling 
each  other  about  the  powers  that  each  received  from  the  Father  and 
when  these  powers  should  be  used.  Said  the  Bear:  "Once  upon  a 
time  I  was  a  human  being  and  lived  like  a  human  being,  and  went 
with  the  people  from  place  to  place.  When  they  camped  in  the  open, 
my  family  always  made  a  camp  near  by  in  the  timber  or  mountains,  for 
we  liked  to  climb  the  trees  and  play  among  the  rocks.  One  night  I 
had  a  dream.  I  dreamed  that  I  was  as  you  see  me  now,  and  I  heard 
some  one  telling  me  of  the  many  things  that  I  had  within  my  power 
to  do.  I  was  shown  the  place  where  I  should  stay,  and  I  was  given 
the  paws  and  claws  and  the  sharp  teeth  which  I  now  possess.  Then 
I  dreamed  that  a  human  being  was  pursuing  me  and  shooting  at  me 
with  his  arrows,  and  I  knew  that  he  was  trying  to  kill  me  for  food,  as 
he  does  any  other  animal.  I  awoke  from  sleep  and  found  that  all  I  had 
dreamed  was  true,  and  from  that  time  I  have  been  as  I  am  now.  I  left 
the  people  and  began  a  new  life  in  the  mountains  and  woods,  and  from 
that  time  the  people  have  hunted  me  and  have  tracked  me  with  dogs. 
Now  they  call  me  Bear,  meaning  '  the  mountain  animal.'  I  have  told 
you  all. ' '  Buffalo  began  to  speak  :  "I,  too,  was  like  a  human  being  and 
my  ways  were  like  their  ways  when  we  first  came  to  dwell  upon  the 
earth.  My  people  were  called  the  Buffalo  people  because  our  oldest 
chief  was  named  Buffalo.  One  time  our  chief  was  taken  away  from  us 
and  we  never  knew  what  became  of  him,  though  we  were  told  that  the 
Great-Powerful-One  had  taken  him  to  another  world,  and  that  some  day 
we  were  all  going  to  that  other  world,  and  that  we  would  meet  our  chief 
there.  We  lived  with  the  people  and  traveled  with  them,  going  behind 
them.  The  people  began  to  enter  this  world,  but  we  were  forbidden  to 
enter  because  some  one  had  made  a  mistake  that  caused  us  to  stay  back 
where  we  came  from.  We  found  out  that  the  person  who  had  made  this 
mistake  was  Coyote,  and  so  our  people  began  at  once  to  pray  that  the 
Father  would  give  him  powers  and  teach  him  so  that  he  might  enter  the 
world  and  take  us  along,  that  we  might  be  with  the  people.  We  do  not 
know  how  we  came  to  be  as  we  are  now,  but  we  know  that  in  order  to  be 
in  the  same  world  as  the  people  are  we  had  to  change  into  wild  animals, 
and  that  for  the  love  of  the  people  we  had  to  be  their  game,  and  we  were 
to  be  killed  and  eaten  by  them.  Then  we  were  given  powers  to  be 
dangerous,  and  these  horns  on  our  heads  were  given  to  us  to  fight  with. ' ' 

*  Told  by  White-Bread. 


THE   POWER   OF   BUFFALO   AND   BEAR.  85 

Then  Bear  asked  Buffalo  if  he  could  show  just  what  he  did  when  he  was 
very  angry  or  when  he  wanted  to  hurt  or  kill  any  one.  Buffalo  began 
to  throw  up  the  earth  and  strike  the  ground  with  his  sharp  horns.  Bear 
sat  watching  him,  and  all  at  once,  before  he  knew  what  had  happened, 
he  was  falling  to  the  ground  and  Buffalo  was  coming  at  him  again. 
When  he  had  fallen  to  the  ground  a  second  time  Buffalo  asked  him  if  he 
saw  him  when  he  first  started  after  him.  ' '  No, ' '  said  Bear.  ' '  Well, ' ' 
said  Buffalo,  ' '  I  think  you  ought  to  show  me  how  you  use  your  powers 
when  you  get  angry."  Bear  began  to  go  through  his  movement,  and 
Buffalo  sat  watching  him.  Bear  began  to  walk  back  and  forth  and  look 
at  Buffalo  with  angry  eyes.  Finally  he  began  to  move  very  slowly  toward 
a  small  tree  which  was  near  by,  and  when  he  reached  the  tree  he  grabbed 
hold  of  it  and  with  his  sharp  teeth  cut  it  down.  Before  Buffalo  knew 
what  had  happened  Bear  was  upon  him  and  he  was  trying  to  get  up 
from  the  ground,  but  Bear  held  him  down  until  he  was  ready  to  give 
up.  Finally  Bear  let  him  go,  saying,  ' '  That  is  the  way  I  do  when  I 
get  very  angry,  but  I  would  treat  you  worse  than  that  if  I  wanted  to 
kill  you."  Bear  and  Buffalo  parted  and  went  to  their  homes. 

51.  HOW  RABBIT  STOLE  MOUNTAIN-LION'S  TEETH* 

One  time  when  Rabbit's  grandmother  had  gone  off  and  left  him  alone 
he  decided  to  wander  about  and  see  what  he  could  see.  He  went  along 
until  he  came  to  the  home  of  Mountain-Lion.  Mountain-Lion  was  not 
at  home,  so  Rabbit  went  in  and  hunted  about.  He  finally  found  Moun- 
tain-Lion's teeth  and  he  took  them  and  ran  home  with  them.  He  was 
glad  to  find  them,  for  the  other  animals  were  afraid  of  Mountain-Lion  on 
account  of  his  sharp  teeth.  Rabbit  showed  the  teeth  to  his  grandmother 
when  he  reached  home,  and  said  :  "  Now,  grandmother,  Mountain-Lion 
will  soon  be  after  his  teeth,  and  we  must  fool  him  some  way  or  he  will 
kill  us. ' '  Rabbit  thought  for  a  while  ;  then  he  said  :  ' '  Build  a  fire  just 
outside  the  door,  put  a  big  kettle  of  water  on  the  fire,  and  then  put  some 
stones  into  the  water  and  boil  them.  When  Mountain-Lion  comes  he 
will  ask  what  you  are  going  to  do  with  those  stones.  Tell  him  that  I 
have  a  guest  in  the  lodge  who  is  going  to  eat  them.  I  will  talk  to  myself 
in  the  lodge  as  though  I  were  entertaining  a  friend,  and  when  Moun- 
tain-Lion asks  who  my  friend  is,  say  *  Chief  of  all  the  beasts.'  "  The 
grandmother  made  a  big  fire  and  put  the  stones  on  to  boil.  Finally  they 
heard  a  big  noise,  and  Mountain-Lion  came  tearing  through  the  bushes 
and  came  straight  to  the  old  woman.  He  asked  her  if  Rabbit  was  at 
home,  and  she  told  him  that  he  was  inside  talking  to  his  friend  and  guest. 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


86  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

Then  he  asked  what  she  was  going  to  do  with  the  stones,  and  she  told 
him  what  Rabbit  had  told  her  to  say.  He  asked  who  the  friend  was, 
and  she  told  him,  ' '  Chief  of  all  the  beasts, "  ' '  Oh,  yes,  I  know  him, ' ' 
he  said,  and  at  the  same  time  backed  off  a  little,  and  then  he  turned 
on  his  heels  and  ran  as  fast  as  he  could. 

52.  RABBIT  AND  THE  DANCING  TURKEYS* 

One  time  while  Wild- Cat  was  out  hunting  he  came  upon  Rabbit  in 
the  tall  grass.  Rabbit  and  Wild- Cat  were  enemies,  and  so  they  began 
to  fight.  Soon  Wild-Cat  had  Rabbit  down  and  was  about  to  kill  him, 
when  Rabbit  said  :  ' '  How  would  you  like  some  nice  Turkeys  to  eat  ?  ' ' 
' '  That  is  just  what  I  have  been  looking  for, ' '  said  Wild-Cat.  ' '  Well, 
I  know  where  there  are  some,  and  I  was  just  about  to  catch  some  when 
I  met  you.  Now,  if  you  kill  me  they  will  all  get  away.  You  had  better 
spare  my  life  until  I  show  you  how  to  catch  the  Turkeys  ;  then  you  may 
do  what  you  please  with  me."  Wild- Cat  agreed,  and  so  Rabbit  told 
him  to  stand  still  while  he  sang  the  Turkey  dance  song.  After  he  had 
sung  a  little,  he  told  Wild- Cat  to  lie  down  and  pretend  to  be  dead  ; 
that  he  would  tell  the  Turkeys  that  he  had  killed  Wild- Cat,  and  wished 
them  to  dance  around  him  with  closed  eyes.  While  they  danced,  Wild- 
Cat  was  to  jump  up  and  grab  all  he  wanted.  Soon  the  Turkeys  heard 
the  song  and  came  to  see  what  it  was  about.  Rabbit  told  them  that 
he  had  killed  the  great  turkey-eater,  Wild-Cat,  and  that  he  wanted 
them  to  dance  a  victory  dance  around  him.  Rabbit  continued  his  song, 
and  as  he  sang  the  Turkeys  danced.  Wild-Cat  peeped  and  saw  one 
big  one  dancing  near  him.  He  jumped  to  get  it,  and  as  he  grabbed 
the  Turkey,  Rabbit  ran  away  through  the  grass,  and  so  escaped  from 
Wild-Cat. 

53.  ADVENTURES  OF  COYOTE,  t 

In  the  beginning  of  the  world  there  were  many,  many  people,  and  the 
people  held  councils  to  decide  how  things  should  be.  There  was  one 
man,  named  Coyote,  who  always  had  something  to  say  on  every  sub- 
ject. At  one  council  this  question  came  up  :  "  How  and  what  kind  of 
rain  should  be  in  the  world  ? ' '  One  of  the  men  said  that  it  should 
rain  in  the  form  of  lead  balls,  which  would  be  very  dangerous,  and  so 
when  the  rain  came  the  people  would  have  to  stay  at  home.  Then 
Coyote  arose  from  his  seat  and  said  :  "If  it  should  rain  nothing  but 
lead  it  would  be  very  dangerous  for  my  people,  because  they  do  not 
stay  at  home  very  much,  and  as  for  myself,  I  might  be  carrying  a  big 
deer  to  my  family  to  eat  when  the  rain  begins  to  fall  and  I  would  cer- 

*  Told  by  Wing.  f  Told  by  Moon-Light. 


ADVENTURES   OF   COYOTE.  87 

taiuly  be  killed.  I  say,  let  it  rain  in  drops  of  water.  Then  we  can  be 
caught  out  in  the  rain  and  get  very  wet,  but  we  will  soon  be  dry 
again,  and  the  wetting  will  be  good  for  us. ' '  The  people  accepted 
Coyote's  suggestion,  and  so  it  is  that  it  rains  in  the  form  of  water. 

When  the  council  was  all  over  and  the  people  went  to  their  homes, 
Coyote  made  up  his  mind  to  go  out  and  visit  some  of  his  friends.  He 
traveled  until  he  came  to  the  mountains.  He  saw  smoke  coming  up 
among  the  mountains,  as  though  some  one  was  making  up  a  big  fire, 
and  he  thought  he  would  go  up  and  see  who  was  living  there.  When 
he  came  near  to  the  place  he  saw  some  one  sitting  by  the  fire.  It  was 
the  great,  powerful  Bear.  Coyote  went  closer,  and  Bear  asked  him  if 
he  was  the  person  who  was  called  Coyote,  and  Bear  told  him  that  if  he 
was  that  he  was  going  to  kill  him,  for  he  had  heard  many  bad  things 
about  him.  Coyote  told  Bear  he  was  not  the  person,  but  that  he  was 
the  son  of  a  great  and  powerful  medicine-man.  Bear  did  not  believe 
him  and  decided  to  kill  him.  When  he  was  about  to  kill  him,  Coyote 
told  him  to  wait  until  his  father  saw  him,  for  he  might  have  something 
to  say  to  him  before  he  died.  This  happened  at  sunrise,  and  when 
the  sun  was  just  peeping  over  the  hilltops  Coyote  said  to  Bear  :  ' '  Now 
you  may  kill  me  or  do  as  you  please  with  me,  because  my  father  is 
watching  me. ' '  Then  Bear  began  to  back  away,  and  as  he  did  so,  Coyote 
began  to  go  nearer  and  nearer  to  Bear.  Finally  he  began  to  push  him 
with  his  elbow,  at  the  same  time  saying:  "Now  kill  me  while  my 
father  is  watching  me."  Bear  thought  that  he  must  be  a  great  man, 
if  he  was  the  son  of  the  Sun,  and  he  wondered  how  he  received  his 
powers  from  the  Sun.  He  became  frightened  and  gave  Coyote  many 
things  to  eat,  and  then  Coyote  told  Bear  to  come  and  make  him  a  visit 
some  time,  whenever  he  felt  like  going  anywhere.  A  long  while  after 
this,  Bear  found  out  that  the  person  who  made  a  visit  to  him  was  not 
the  son  of  the  Sun,  but  that  he  was  the  man  Coyote,  whom  he  wanted 
to  kill.  Bear  was  more  angry  at  him  than  ever,  and  so  he  thought  he 
would  fool  Coyote  some  way  by  going  and  visiting  him  and  killing  him 
if  he  could  find  his  home.  Bear  did  not  find  his  home,  because  Coyote 
was  always  moving  from  place  to  place,  for  he  knew  that  Bear  was 
after  him,  and  that  he  would  kill  him  if  he  could  catch  him. 

While  Coyote  was  moving  from  one  place  to  another  he  came  down 
to  a  large  lake  of  clear,  cool  water,  and  after  he  had  been  there  for  some 
time  he  started  off  a  little  way  from  the  lake.  While  gone  he  saw  some 
one  coming  up  toward  him  and,  as  he  was  very  cowardly,  he  started  to 
run  away.  The  person  was  not  his  enemy,  but  a  friend  of  his,  Moun- 
tain-Iyion.  He  called  Coyote  back,  and  so  he  came,  and  he  told  his 
friend  that  he  was  very  hungry,  for  he  had  had  nothing  to  eat  for  a  long 


88  TRADITIONS   OF   THB   CADDO. 

while.  Mountain-Lion  asked  him  to  go  along  with  him,  saying  that  he 
would  find  something  for  him  to  eat  soon.  They  both  went  to  the  lake, 
and  when  they  came  down  to  the  water  Mountain-Lion  told  Coyote  that 
he  was  going  to  kill  a  young  horse.  In  those  times  there  were  many 
herds  of  wild  horses,  and  at  the  lake  there  was  a  certain  place  where 
the  wild  horses  drank.  Near  the  place  where  the  road  led  to  the  water 
there  was  a  large  tree,  and  the  horses  passed  under  the  tree  as  they  went 
down  to  the  water.  Kvery  day  at  about  noon  Mountain-Lion  would 
climb  the  tree  and  then  pounce  down  on  a  young  horse  and  kill  him. 
As  Mountain-Lion  and  Coyote  drew  near  to  the  tree  Mountain-Lion  told 
Coyote  to  place  himself  where  the  wild  herd  of  horses  could  not  see  him, 
and  so  he  did,  and  Mountain-Lion  climbed  the  tree.  Soon  Coyote  saw 
dust  rise  up  from  the  ground  and  he  heard  something  like  thundering, 
and  later  he  saw  many  hundreds  of  horses  coming  down  to  the  water. 
As  the  horses  were  passing  under  the  tree,  Coyote  saw  Mountain-Lion 
jump  out  of  the  tree  and  pounce  upon  a  young  horse  and  kill  it.  Then 
Mountain-Lion  and  Coyote  both  had  a  fine  dinner.  That  day,  after  they 
had  eaten,  Mountain-Lion  told  Coyote  to  continue  on  his  way;  but  Coyote 
did  not  want  to  leave  his  friend,  and  so  he  asked  Mountain-Lion  if  he 
could  give  him  power  so  that  he  could  kill  a  horse,  too,  and  eat  it  when 
he  was  hungry.  Mountain-Lion  told  him  he  would.  They  stayed  there 
until  the  next  day,  and  at  about  noon  they  both  went  down  to  the  lake 
again,  and  went  to  the  tree,  and  then  Mountain-Lion  showed  Coyote  how 
and  what  to  do  when  the  horses  should  come.  He  taught  him  how  to 
climb  the  tree,  and  then  he  went  out  to  place  himself  where  the  horses 
could  not  see  him. 

Soon  they  began  to  come  from  different  directions,  and  as  they  filed 
down  to  the  water  Coyote  picked  out  a  fat  young  horse,  and  as  they 
were  coming  up  from  the  water  he  jumped  on  it  and  killed  it.  They 
had  another  fine  dinner,  and  then  Mountain-Lion  said  to  Coyote  :  * '  Do 
not  try  to  kill  a  three  or  four  year  old  horse.  If  you  jump  on  one  that 
is  three  years  old  you  can  not  kill  him  and  you  may  lose  your  own  life. 
Try  to  kill  one  that  is  one  or  two  years  old  and  you  will  succeed  every 
time."  Coyote  left  his  new  friend  and  went  on  his  way.  The  next 
day,  while  he  was  alone,  he  began  to  get  very  hungry,  and  so  at  about 
noon  he  went  down  to  the  lake  to  kill  a  horse.  While  he  was  on  the 
tree  he  said  to  himself  :  "I  wonder  if  it  would  be  dangerous  for  me  to 
kill  one  of  the  large  horses.  I  may  be  stronger  than  Mountain-Lion, 
and  so  I  will  try  to  kill  the  largest  horse  and  I  will  show  Mountain- 
Lion  that  I  am  not  so  small  as  I  look  to  him."  The  horses  began  to 
go  down  to  the  water,  and  Coyote  waited  and  waited  for  the  chance  to 
jump  upon  the  largest  horse  in  the  herd.  Finally  a  large  horse  came, 


ADVENTURES   OF   COYOTE.  89 

and  when  he  was  right  under  the  tree  Coyote  jumped  upon  him.  It 
was  but  a  short  time  until  the  horse  threw  Coyote  off  from  his  back, 
and  when  Coyote  was  down  on  the  ground  the  horse  kicked  him  under 
the  jaws  and  went  off.  As  Coyote  was  about  to  die,  Mountain-L,ion, 
who  had  been  watching  Coyote  all  the  time,  came  up  to  see  what  was 
the  matter  with  him,  and  when  he  came  up  to  him  he  saw  his  jaws  to 
one  side.  Mountain-Lion  asked  Coyote  what  he  was  laughing  about, 
and  asked  him  if  he  was  able  to  kill  another  five-year-old  horse.  Coyote 
lay  there  for  a  long  time  before  he  was  able  to  move.  Finally  he  arose 
and  decided  to  leave  the  place,  never  to  return  to  it.  As  he  was  going 
along  a  small  stream  he  heard  some  one  up  in  a  persimmon  tree,  and  so 
he  thought  that  he  would  go  over  and  see  who  it  was.  He  found 
Opossum  in  the  persimmon  tree  eating  persimmons.  Coyote  went 
under  the  tree  and  asked  Opossum  to  throw  down  some  persimmons  to 
him.  Opossum  refused  and  laughed  at  Coyote  and  began  to  play  with 
him.  Opossum  would  take  one  persimmon  and  eat  it,  and  then  he  would 
throw  the  seeds  down  to  Coyote.  Finally  Coyote  became  angry  at 
Opossum  and  wished  he  could  get  him  down  from  the  tree.  Sometimes 
Opossum  would  get  on  a  small  limb  of  the  tree,  and  then  drop  down  as 
though  he  was  going  to  fall  to  the  ground,  but  he  would  always  catch 
himself  by  wrapping  his  tail  around  the  limb.  He  kept  on  doing  this 
to  torment  Coyote  for  a  long  time,  until  he  climbed  out  on  a  dry  limb. 
He  threw  himself  off  the  limb  again  and  said  to  Coyote  :  "I  am  falling 
off,  sure.  I  am  coming  down,"  and  just  as  he  let  himself  off  of  the 
limb  it  broke  off  and  down  came  Opossum.  Coyote  was  upon  him  and 
gave  him  a  good  beating,  and  then  he  left  him  to  die.  Opossum  fooled 
Coyote,  for  he  was  not  hurt  at  all,  and  when  Coyote  went  away  Opos- 
sum jumped  up  and  climbed  the  persimmon  tree  again.  After  a  while 
Coyote  looked  back  to  see  if  Opossum  was  dead.  He  could  not  see 
him,  and  so  he  went  back  and  found  that  Opossum  was  gone.  He 
looked  up  in  the  tree,  and  there  he  saw  him  laughing  at  him  again. 

54.  COYOTE  ESCAPES  AN  IMAGINARY  FOE.* 

One  time  Coyote  went  out  hunting  buffalo.  While  he  was  going 
through  the  timber  he  found  Turkey  up  on  the  top  of  a  tall  tree.  He 
told  Turkey  that  he  was  going  to  kill  him  if  he  did  not  get  down  from 
the  tree.  He  said  :  "  If  you  don't  come  down  I  will  climb  the  tree. 
If  you  fly  to  another  tree,  I  will  break  it  down  at  once,  and  will  cer- 
tainly kill  you ;  but  if  you  fly  toward  the  prairie  I  can  not  harm  you, 
for  I  have  no  powers  to  kill  anything  on  the  prairie. ' '  Turkey  believed 

*  Told  by  Wing. 
7D 


90  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

all  that  Coyote  said  and  started  out  toward  the  prairie.  Coyote  was  right 
under  Turkey  all  the  time.  At  first  Turkey  flew  up  so  high  that  Coyote 
thought  he  was  going  to  lose  him,  but  after  a  long  flight  Turkey  kept 
coming  down  lower  and  lower,  and  finally  came  down  on  the  ground. 
Then  Coyote  was  not  very  far  behind  and  he  caught  up  with  him  and 
killed  him.  While  Coyote  was  eating  Turkey,  he  happened  to  look 
around  to  make  sure  that  no  one  was  watching  him.  He  thought  that 
he  saw  somebody  standing  behind  him  making  motions  as  if  trying  to 
strike  him.  He  started  to  run  without  learning  who  it  was.  Every 
now  and  then  he  would  look  back  to  see  if  he  were  out  of  his  reach. 
Every  time  he  looked  back  he  thought  he  saw  the  man  right  after  him, 
ready  to  hit  him.  He  ran  with  all  his  might,  trying  to  get  away  from 
him.  Coyote  had  been  given  power  at  the  beginning  of  the  world  to 
run  without  decreasing  his  running  powers.  Coyote  began  to  think  that 
some  great,  powerful  man  was  behind  him  and  that  he  had  to  die.  He 
had  run  eight  times.  The  ninth  time  he  thought  he  would  run  farther 
than  usual.  Again  he  looked  around,  right  and  left,  and  thought  he 
saw  the  man  just  about  to  hit  him.  He  started  to  run  his  best  again, 
but  his  running  powers  were  decreasing  continually.  He  was  then  run- 
ning for  the  tenth  time  ;  but  it  was  all  in  vain,  for  the  man  seemed  to 
be  right  up  with  him.  Then  Coyote  thought  he  would  fool  the  man, 
so  he  kept  dodging  right  and  left,  but  the  man  seemed  to  be  near  him 
all  the  time.  When  he  started  to  run  the  twelfth  time  he  had  not  gone 
far  when  he  gave  out.  He  rolled  and  turned  over  on  his  back  and 
begged  not  to  be  killed.  He  fell  over  on  his  face,  then  heard  something 
crack,  and  he  thought  it  was  one  of  his  teeth,  but  it  was  only  a  turkey 
feather  which  had  stuck  between  two  of  his  upper  teeth,  and  it  stuck 
up  nearly  straight  and  level  with  his  head  back  of  his  right  eye.  At  first 
when  he  looked  back  he  had  thought  surely  that  some  one  was  standing 
behind  him  ready  to  strike  him.  When  he  found  that  he  had  been 
fooled  by  only  a  turkey  feather,  and  had  been  running  himself  almost 
to  death  for  nothing,  he  was  very  angry.  Ever  since,  Coyote  has 
looked  wild,  and  when  he  runs  he  starts  out  very  slowly  for  fear  he  may 
have  to  run  a  long  distance,  and  when  he  runs  he  first  looks  around 
to  the  right  and  then  to  the  left  to  see  if  anybody  is  near  him.  Most 
often  he  looks  to  his  right  side  while  running.  When  Coyote  reached 
home  he  told  his  family  and  others  that  he  had  been  running  after  a 
great  big  mountain-lion,  and  that  he  had  killed  it.  He  said:  "If 
there  had  not  been  so  many  trees  I  would  have  brought  it  home. ' ' 


COYOTK   GOES   FISHING.  91 

55.  COYOTE  GOES  FISHING  * 

One  time  Coyote  went  out  hunting  along  the  river  and  saw  some  one 
walking  along  its  banks,  carrying  something  on  his  back.  When  he 
came  nearer  he  saw  that  it  was  a  man  carrying  a  fish.  Coyote  came  to 
him,  and  said  :  "  How  do  you  do,  my  friend  ?  Where  are  you  going  ? 
Where  have  you  been  ?  Where  did  you  get  that  big  snake  ?  "  ' '  Well, ' ' 
said  the  man,  "  I  have  been  out  fishing  nearly  all  night,  and  finally  I 
caught  this  fish.  I  was  so  tired  that  I  did  not  care  to  catch  another." 
"  What !  "  said  Coyote,  "do  you  call  that  a  fish ?  How  did  you  get 
hold  of  it?"  "Well,"  said  the  man,  "I  will  tell  you  how  to  get 
them.  When  evening  comes  go  down  along  the  edge  of  the  river  and 
break  a  place  in  the  ice  just  big  enough  to  put  your  tail  in,  and  stay 
there  until  I  come  to  see  you  again."  That  same  evening  Coyote 
went  to  the  place  and  found  the  man  waiting  for  him.  It  was  getting 
dark.  The  man  told  Coyote  to  sit  down  by  the  edge  of  the  water, 
while  he  was  breaking  the  ice.  Coyote  did  as  the  man  told  him.  He 
did  not  know  that  this  was  a  man  whom  he  had  tricked  some  time 
before  and  that  he  was  trying  to  get  revenge.  The  man  left  Coyote 
sitting  by  the  bank  fishing  all  that  cold  night.  Toward  the  middle  of 
the  night  the  water  began  to  freeze  on  Coyote's  tail,  and  toward  morn- 
ing the  ice  got  thicker  and  thicker,  and  when  morning  came  Coyote 
tried  to  get  up  from  his  seat,  for  he  was  very  tired,  but  he  could  not. 
There  he  was,  trying  in  every  way  to  get  free,  but  he  could  not  move. 
When  the  man  came  he  said  to  Coyote  :  ' '  How  are  you  getting  along  ? 
Are  you  catching  any  fish  ?  ' '  Coyote  replied  :  "  I  think  I  have  caught 
two  or  three  of  them,  but  can  you  help  me  to  get  them  out  on  dry 
land ?  "  "  Yes,"  said  the  man,  "of  course  I  will,  although  I  want  to 
talk  to  you  before  we  get  the  fish  out  of  the  water.  You  remember 
that  a  long  time  ago  you  were  one  of  my  best  friends,  but  finally  you 
tricked  me,  and  now  I  am  getting  even  with  you.  You  will  have  to 
die,  for  I  am  going  to  kill  you. "  "  My  friend, ' '  said  Coyote,  ' '  I  think 
you  are  mistaken.  I  do  not  think  I  am  the  man  who  played  the  mean 
trick  on  you.  You  know  very  well  that  I  never  betray  my  friends 
while  I  am  able  to  see.  If  you  will  let  me  go  this  time  I  will  go  and 
bring  the  man  you  are  looking  for,  and  I  will  come  back  to-morrow 
evening  and  assure  you  that  I  am  your  friend."  "  But,"  said  the 
man,  "  I  do  not  see  how  you  are  going  to  get  loose  to  go,  do  you  ?  I 
will  look  for  the  other  man  myself,  and  I  will  do  to  him  just  as  I  am 
going  to  do  to  you. ' '  The  man  went  back  to  his  lodge  to  get  his  bow 
and  arrows.  When  he  returned  to  Coyote  he  took  one  of  the  arrows 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


92  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

out  and  showed  it  to  him  and  said,  "  You  see  this?"  He  began  to 
sing  the  song  that  warriors  sing  just  before  they  kill  their  enemies. 
When  he  had  finished  the  song  he  shot  and  killed  Coyote. 

56.  COYOTE  HUNTS  GEESE.* 

Coyote  was  once  a  man  and  lived  with  the  people.  His  great-grand- 
father named  him  Coyote,  but  because  he  did  wrong  the  people  came 
to  dislike  him  and  began  to  call  him  coward.  The  reason  the  people 
did  not  like  him  was  because  he  was  always  scheming  and  trying  to 
cheat  some  one.  One  time  he  went  out  to  visit  his  best  friend,  and 
when  he  arrived  at  his  friend's  lodge  he  found  that  his  friend  had  been 
feasting  on  white  geese.  ' '  Where  did  you  get  these  white  geese  ?  ' ' 
"  Well,"  said  his  friend,  "  I  catch  them  every  evening  near  the  lake. 
Would  you  like  to  go  with  me  this  evening  to  catch  a  few  of  them  ? ' ' 
"Yes,"  said  Coyote.  His  friend  then  said  :  "You  go  on  home  and 
come  back  this  evening.  We  will  then  go  together  and  I  will  show 
you  where  the  geese  always  come  in  the  evening,  and  I  will  see  that  you 
have  a  good  time,  too. "  ' ( Oh,  you  do  not  have  to  show  me  how  to  get 
them  ;  I  can  get  them  all  right.  All  you  have  to  do  is  just  to  show  me 
where  they  are, ' '  said  Coyote.  "All  right, ' '  said  his  friend,  and  Coyote 
was  pleased,  for  he  thought  he  was  going  to  have  a  very  fine,  fat  bird 
for  supper  that  evening.  He  danced  all  the  way  from  his  friend's  home 
to  his  own.  As  soon  as  Coyote  was  out  of  sight  the  friend  began  to 
carry  out  ashes  from  the  fire  and  place  them  near  the  lake,  where  he 
formed  them  in  the  shape  of  white  geese.  Just  before  it  was  evening 
he  went  out  and  put  some  coals  under  the  ashes,  and  in  a  little  while 
the  coals  burned  up,  but  the  fire  could  not  be  seen  from  the  outside. 
When  Coyote  came  to  his  friend  he  found  him  laughing  and  feeling  in 
high  spirits.  "  Well,"  said  Coyote,  "are  you  ready  to  go  and  catch 
a  few  white  geese?  I  am  ready  to  make  a  long  jump  and  I  think  I 
can  get  two  at  once."  "  Well,"  said  the  friend,  "I  am  ready,  too. 
We  will  go  now. ' '  They  started  out,  and  as  they  approached  the  place 
the  friend  began  to  go  slowly,  taking  the  lead,  and  when  they  came  to 
the  place  he  pretended  not  to  see  the  first  pile  of  ashes.  Finally  Coyote 
saw  the  first  pile,  came  closer  to  his  friend  and  began  punching  him  in 
the  back.  Both  stopped  and  Coyote  said  :  "  I  guess  I  will  have  to  kill 
this  first  one,  and  if  I  catch  him  I  will  take  him  for  my  supper. ' '  '  'All 
right, ' '  said  the  friend.  Coyote  began  to  get  down  next  to  the  ground, 
going  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  pile  of  ashes.  When  he  was  about  to 
jump,  the  friend  began  to  laugh.  Coyote  paid  no  attention,  but  jumped 
on  the  pile  of  hot  ashes  and  burned  himself.  He  began  to  run  from 
the  place.  He  was  burned  so  badly  that  he  ran  until  he  killed  himself. 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


COYOTE   IMITATES   HIS   HOST.  93 


57.  COYOTE  IMITATES  HIS  HOST.* 

In  the  days  of  old,  when  animals  were  like  people  and  talked  and  visited 
each  other,  Coyote  and  Raven  were  great  friends.  One  day  after  Coyote 
had  grown  weary  of  hunting  for  game  and  finding  none,  he  went  up  to 
the  top  of  the  mountain  to  see  his  friend  Raven.  Raven  had  control 
of  the  buffalo  and  was  always  seen  with  the  herds.  (Now,  since  the 
buffalo  has  gone  from  the  earth,  Raven  has  disappeared  and  is  seldom 
seen  any  more.)  Raven  invited  Coyote  to  enter,  and  when  he  saw 
Coyote  weary  and  sad  and  silent  he  arose,  took  an  arrow,  shot  it  up 
into  the  air,  and  then  stood  waiting  for  it  to  come  down.  It  came  down 
and  pierced  him  under  the  right  arm.  He  drew  the  arrow  out  and  with 
it  came  buffalo  meat  and  fat.  He  gave  the  meat  to  Coyote,  who  ate 
heartily.  Then  Coyote  smacked  his  mouth,  arose,  and  said  that  he  must 
be  going,  but  before  he  went  he  gave  Raven  an  urgent  invitation  to  come 
over  and  make  him  a  visit,  and  Raven  promised  to  come. 

When  Coyote  went  home  he  began  making  a  bow  and  arrow,  and  when 
he  had  finished  them  he  put  them  away  until  Raven  should  visit  him. 
One  day  Raven  bethought  himself  of  his  promise,  and  so  he  left  his  home 
in  haste  to  pay  Coyote  a  visit.  Coyote  received  him  with  joy.  After 
they  had  talked  about  many  things  Coyote  said  :  "I  have  no  meat,  for 
I  did  not  expect  you,  but  if  you  will  wait  I  will  soon  have  some  for 
you. ' '  Coyote  took  his  bow  and  arrow  and  shot  the  arrow  into  the  sky, 
then  stood  waiting  for  it  to  come  down.  Raven  watched  him  and  said 
never  a  word.  The  arrow  came  down  and  struck  in  Coyote's  thigh. 
He  ran  away  screaming  with  pain  and  left  his  guest  alone.  Raven 
waited  a  while  and  then  went  home  without  any  meat,  but  in  very  high 
spirits  notwithstanding,  for  Coyote's  performance  amused  him  greatly 
and  he  chuckled  to  himself  as  often  as  he  thought  of  it.  Coyote  con- 
tinued to  run  until  he  pulled  the  arrow  out  of  his  thigh  ;  then  he  took 
the  arrow  and  broke  it  to  pieces.  He  never  went  back  to  see  Raven, 
and  time  passed  on  and  none  of  Coyote's  friends  saw  him,  and  they  all 
wondered  what  had  become  of  him.  At  last  he  grew  so  hungry  that  he 
had  to  go  out  for  food.  He  found  none,  and  so  he  went  to  visit  another 
one  of  his  friends,  for  he  had  many.  Black-Mountain-Bear  received 
him  graciously  when  he  came  to  his  home  and  asked  him  in.  Bear  said  : 
*'  I  regret  that  I  have  no  meat  to  offer  you."  As  he  spoke  he  leaned 
against  a  persimmon  tree  that  was  weighted  down  with  many  ripe  per- 
simmons, and  as  he  leaned  against  the  tree  the  ripe  fruit  fell  to  the 
ground.  Bear  smiled  and  asked  his  friend  to  eat.  Coyote  ate  many, 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


94  TRADITIONS  OF  THE  CADDO. 

for  he  was  very  hungry.  When  he  had  finished  he  thanked  Bear  and 
said  that  he  must  be  going,  but  before  he  went  he  insisted  that  Bear 
come  to  see  him,  and  Bear  promised  to  come  soon. 

Coyote  wandered  all  about  looking  for  a  persimmon  tree.  He  could 
not  find  one  with  any  fruit  on  it,  and  so  he  decided  to  take  one  without 
fruit.  He  cut  the  tree  down  and  carried  it  to  his  home,  where  he  set 
it  up  ;  then  he  went  out  to  look  for  persimmons.  He  had  stolen  some 
from  Bear's  home,  but  he  had  not  stolen  enough.  When  he  found  more 
persimmons  he  took  them  home,  and  climbing  the  tree  he  placed  the 
persimmons  all  over  the  tree,  so  that  they  looked  as  though  they  had 
grown  there. 

Black- Mountain-Bear  was  out  hunting  one  day,  and  as  he  was  near 
Coyote's  home  he  remembered  his  promise  to  visit  him,  and  so  he  ran  over 
to  see  him.  Coyote  was  glad  to  see  him  and  asked  him  in.  "  I  am  so 
sorry  I  have  no  meat  for  you,"  he  said,  "but  if  you  will  wait  I  will  try 
to  get  you  something  to  eat. ' '  Coyote  began  to  bump  against  the  tree 
with  his  head.  He  hit  harder  and  harder,  but  the  persimmons  would 
not  fall.  Finally  he  arose  and  shook  the  tree  with  his  hands,  though  it 
embarrassed  him  to  have  to  do  this.  He  gave  the  tree  a  big  shake  and 
over  it  fell,  hitting  him  on  the  head.  He  pretended  that  it  did  not  hurt 
and  went  about  gathering  up  the  fruit  for  Bear,  though  he  could  hardly 
see  for  pain.  Bear  ate,  though  he  could  hardly  swallow  for  laughing, 
for  Coyote's  head  kept  getting  bigger  and  bigger.  After  a  little  while 
Bear  said  that  he  must  be  going,  for  he  was  afraid  to  stay  longer  for 
fear  Coyote  would  see  him  laugh.  After  he  had  gone  Coyote  sat  down 
and  held  his  sore  head,  but  he  felt  happy  notwithstanding,  for  he  had 
furnished  food  for  Bear. 

58.  COYOTE  IMITATES  HIS  HOST.* 

One  morning  while  Coyote  was  out  looking  for  something  to  eat  he 
came  to  a  grass  lodge.  Thinking  that  there  might  be  food  inside,  he 
decided  to  go  in  and  pay  his  respects  to  its  owner  if  he  should  be  there  ; 
if  not,  help  himself  to  food.  He  entered  and  saw  a  man  walking  about 
with  a  light  on  his  head.  At  once  Coyote  called  out :  "  Say,  friend, 
your  head  is  on  fire,  and  you  and  your  house  will  burn  up  if  you  don't 
look  out. ' '  The  man  smiled  and  replied  in  a  calm  voice :  ' '  I  have 
always  worn  this  light  on  my  head.  It  was  given  to  me  in  the  begin- 
ning. It  will  not  burn  anything."  Then  the  man,  who  was  Wood- 
pecker, gave  Coyote  something  to  eat.  After  Coyote  had  eaten  all  he 
could,  he  arose  and  said  that  he  must  go.  He  asked  Woodpecker  to 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


COYOTE   IMITATES   HIS   HOST.  95 

come  over  and  make  him  a  visit,  and  Woodpecker  promised  that  he 
would.  Some  time  later  Woodpecker  remembered  his  promise  and 
so  started  out  to  find  Coyote's  lodge.  He  found  it,  and  Coyote,  much 
pleased,  invited  him  to  come  in  and  be  seated.  Woodpecker  entered 
and  was  surprised  to  see  a  big  bunch  of  burning  straw  on  Coyote's 
head.  "Ah,  take  that  off.  You  will  burn  your  head."  Coyote  only 
smiled,  and  replied  in  a  calm  voice  :  "  Oh.  no  ;  that  will  not  burn  my 
head.  I  always  wear  it.  I  was  told  in  the  beginning  that  I  would 
wear  a  light  on  my  head  at  nights  so  that  I  can  do  whatever  I  like  to 
while  others  are  in  darkness."  He  had  no  more  than  finished  speak- 
ing when  the  hair  on  his  head  caught  fire.  He  began  to  scream  and 
try  to  put  it  out,  but  could  not.  He  ran  out  of  his  lodge  screaming 
for  help.  Woodpecker  waited  for  him  to  return,  but  he  did  not  come. 

59.  COYOTE,  THE  DEER,  AND  THE  WIND.* 

One  time  when  Coyote  was  out  hunting  something  to  eat  he  met 
Deer.  Deer  asked  Coyote  where  he  was  going,  and  Coyote  told  him 
that  he  was  going  out  hunting.  Deer  asked  Coyote  how  he  killed  his 
game,  for  he  noticed  that  he  carried  no  bow  and  arrows.  ' '  I  can  kill 
anything  I  can  get  my  hands  on,"  said  Coyote.  "  But  how  do  you 
get  close  enough  to  get  your  hands  on  your  game?"  Deer  asked. 
11  Sometimes  I  run  the  game  down,  sometimes  I  catch  them  asleep." 
Deer  said :  "I  am  considered  good  food  ;  even  the  human  beings  are 
very  fond  of  my  flesh.  If  you  can  catch  me  I  will  let  you  kill  me  and 
eat  me."  Deer  started  to  run,  and  Coyote  started  after  him,  but  soon 
lost  sight  of  him  and  gave  out.  He  went  on  home,  but  he  could  not 
help  thinking  of  Deer's  offer,  and  wondering  how  he  could  catch  him. 
He  wandered  about  trying  to  find  him  asleep,  but  never  did.  One  time, 
after  Coyote  had  been  out  searching  to  find  Deer  asleep,  he  grew  very 
tired  and  lay  down  in  the  tall  grass  to  take  a  nap.  When  he  awoke  he 
heard  some  one  singing  near  by.  He  was  badly  frightened  and  sat  up 
straight  and  rubbed  his  eyes  and  peeped  about.  He  saw  no  one,  but 
as  he  sat  still  and  listened  again  he  heard  his  name  mentioned  in  the 
song.  He  jumped  up  and  ran  as  fast  as  he  could  ;  yet  he  always  heard 
the  voice  singing  in  his  ears,  just  as  near  as  when  he  woke  up.  He 
ran  as  fast  and  far  as  he  could  ;  then  he  dropped  down  to  die.  While 
he  was  panting,  he  heard  the  voice  again,  and  it  was  so  near  that  he 
heard  these  words  :  "If  Coyote  ever  kills  a  Deer  he  shall  be  as  fleet  as 
he,  and  I  who  am  singing  am  going  to  give  him  power  to  catch  a  Deer. 
I  am  the  Wind."  Coyote's  fear  vanished,  and  he  arose  and  barked  at 

*  Told  by  White-Bread. 


g6  TRADITIONS  OF  THE  CADDO. 

the  Wind  in  a  loud  voice,  to  give  thanks.  His  weariness  left  him  and 
he  started  out  to  find  Deer.  He  traveled  all  day,  but  could  not  find 
him.  At  night  he  came  to  a  camp,  where  he  stole  a  buffalo  robe.  He 
put  the  robe  over  him  and  then  went  on  to  look  for  Deer.  Down  by 
the  river  he  thought  he  saw  him.  He  went  another  way  and  slipped 
round  a  bend  in  the  river  until  he  came  close  to  Deer.  He  reached  out 
his  hands  to  grab  him  and  said,  as  he  caught  hold  of  him :  "  I  have 
you  ;  I  thought  you  said  I  could  not  get  you."  To  his  surprise  he 
found  that  he  did  not  have  Deer,  but  the  man  whose  robe  he  had  stolen. 

The  man  took  Coyote  home  with  him  and  made  him  work  for  him  and 
his  sister,  and  treated  him  very  cruelly,  because  he  had  stolen  his  robe. 
One  time  while  the  man  was  out  hunting,  Coyote  went  into  the  lodge 
and  said  to  the  sister  in  a  loud,  angry  voice  :  * '  Pack  up  your  clothes  ; 
I  am  going  to  take  you  to  my  home  as  prisoner,  and  you  will  have  to 
work  there  as  I  have  worked  here.  Your  brother  is  killed  and  now 
you  must  come  with  me. ' '  The  girl  was  frightened  and  obeyed.  They 
started  toward  Coyote's  home.  Coyote  went  behind  the  girl  with  a 
long  stick  in  his  hand,  and  whenever  she  stopped  or  fell  he  hit  her  with 
the  stick.  The  girl  went  on,  though  she  was  so  tired  and  frightened 
that  she  could  hardly  move,  and  as  she  went  she  prayed  that  her  brother 
was  not  dead,  but  would  come  and  help  her. 

In  the  meantime  the  man  returned  home  and  found  his  sister  and 
Coyote  gone.  He  knew  at  once  what  had  happened  and  started  after 
them  and  soon  caught  up  with  them  ;  for  he  had  the  power  to  travel  as 
fast  as  the  fleetest  arrow,  though  Coyote  did  not  know  it.  When  he 
was  almost  up  with  them  he  shot  an  arrow  in  front  of  his  sister.  She 
saw  it  and  knew  that  her  brother  was  coming  to  help  her ;  then  she 
began  to  cry  the  more  from  joy.  Coyote  whipped  her  for  crying  and 
made  her  travel  faster.  The  man  saw  Coyote  strike  his  sister  and  heard 
the  cruel  words  that  he  spoke  to  her.  He  went  on  a  hill  and  then  shot 
another  arrow.  Coyote  looked  up  and  saw  him  and  became  frightened 
even  more  than  the  girl  had  been.  He  dropped  his  stick  and  ran  to  the 
girl  and  begged  her  to  let  him  carry  her  bundle  of  clothing,  and  begged 
her  not  to  cry.  The  man  came  down  from  the  hill  and  asked  Coyote 
where  he  was  going  with  his  sister.  Coyote  said  that  the  people  had 
treated  them  so  badly  he  had  decided  to  take  the  girl  to  another  village, 
where  the  people  would  be  kind  to  her.  He  said  that  he  was  helping 
her  along  the  way  and  had  been  kind  to  her.  The  brother  of  the  girl 
did  not  believe  Coyote,  for  he  had  seen  his  treatment  of  her.  He  told 
Coyote  to  take  the  bundle  of  clothes  and  put  it  on  his  back  ;  then  he 
told  his  sister  to  sit  on  the  bundle.  He  put  his  bow-string  through 
Coyote's  mouth  and  gave  the  ends  to  the  girl.  She  sawed  the  strings 


COYOTE,  THE   DEER,  AND   THE   WIND.  97 

back  and  forth  and  the  man  ran  along  by  the  side  of  Coyote,  whipping 
him,  and  thus  they  returned  to  their  home.  This  man  was  the  Wind, 
who  had  become  angry  at  Coyote  for  stealing  his  robe  and  trying  to 
catch  Deer  with  it,  instead  of  waiting  for  him  to  give  him  power. 

60.  COYOTE  DIVES  FOR  MEAT.* 

One  time  when  Coyote  was  out  hunting  she  killed  a  big  deer.  She 
cut  the  deer  up  and  hid  it  in  a  tree  while  she  went  home  to  get  her 
children  to  come  and  help  her  carry  the  meat  home.  Wild-Cat  saw  her 
kill  the  deer  and  hide  it,  and  as  soon  as  Coyote  was  gone  he  stole  the 
meat  and  climbed  a  tree  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  where  Coyote  could 
not  see  him.  After  a  little  while  Coyote  returned  with  all  of  her  happy 
and  hungry  children.  They  looked  every  place  for  the  meat.  The 
children  were  angry  at  their  mother  and  said  that  she  had  lied  to  them. 
While  they  were  abusing  her,  she  saw  the  reflection  of  the  meat  in  the 
water,  and,  thinking  that  it  was  the  meat,  she  told  her  children  to  sit 
still  while  she  dived  for  it.  She  told  them  that  it  had  fallen  into  the 
water,  but  that  she  could  very  easily  get  it  if  they  would  only  be  quiet 
and  wait.  She  dived  and  struggled  in  the  water,  reaching  for  the 
meat,  but  never  getting  it.  Finally  she  sat  down  upon  the  bank  to 
rest,  wondering  how  she  could  dive  deep  enough  to  get  the  meat.  After 
she  had  rested  she  told  the  little  Coyotes  to  bring  her  some  stones. 
She  tied  the  stones  about  her  neck  and  dived  again.  The  Coyotes 
waited  a  long  time  for  their  mother  to  come  up,  but  she  did  not  come. 
After  a  while  they  saw  some  excrement  on  the  water,  and  they  laughed, 
for  they  thought  it  was  the  meat  their  mother  had  thrown  up.  When 
they  laughed  Wild-Cat  laughed  at  their  foolishness.  They  looked  up 
in  the  tree,  and  there  saw  Wild-Cat  and  all  of  the  meat.  Wild-Cat 
told  them  that  their  mother  was  drowned.  Then  they  began  to  cry, 
but  Wild- Cat  told  them  not  to  cry,  that  he  was  going  to  come  down 
and  take  care  of  them.  He  climbed  down  and  brought  the  deer  meat 
with  him.  He  gave  the  little  Coyotes  all  they  wanted  and  then  took 
them  home.  After  that,  whenever  he  killed  any  game  he  always  took 
some  over  to  the  Coyote  children,  and  fed  and  cared  for  them  until 
they  were  grown. 

61.  COYOTE,  THE  GEESE,  AND  THE  WOODPECKERS  * 

Coyote  was  returning  home  after  an  unsuccessful  hunt.  He  was  going 
along  sad  and  discouraged,  when  he  heard  some  one  laughing  and  play- 
ing. He  listened  for  a  while,  then  decided  to  go  and  enter  into  the  fun, 
so  that  he  might  be  cheered  up.  He  ran  over  a  little  hill,  and  there  on 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


98  TRADITIONS   OF  THE   CADDO. 

the  other  side  was  a  big  lake,  and  on  the  surface  several  white  Geese 
were  playing.  He  sat  down  behind  some  brush  to  watch  them.  They 
were  trying  to  see  which  was  the  strongest.  One  would  get  on  the  back 
of  another  and  fly,  trying  to  see  which  could  fly  the  farthest.  Coyote 
decided  not  to  enter  into  their  play,  but  to  try  to  catch  them  and  take 
them  home  to  his  family.  The  Geese  had  seen  Coyote  coming,  for  they 
have  power  to  see  a  long  distance,  but  they  pretended  that  they  had  not 
seen  him  and  did  not  know  that  he  was  hiding  behind  the  brush. 

Coyote  watched  them  for  a  long  time,  trying  to  think  of  some  plan 
whereby  he  could  catch  all  of  them.  Finally  he  began  to  grin  to  him- 
self, for  he  had  thought  of  a  plan  that  he  thought  would  work  splen- 
didly. He  limped  out  from  the  bushes,  pretending  that  he  had  been 
hurt  and  was  almost  dead.  The  Geese,  hearing  him  crying,  turned  and 
saw  him  come  limping  toward  them,  and  they  all  began  to  swim  out 
into  the  water.  When  they  were  out  far  enough  for  safety  one  turned 
and  asked  Coyote  what  was  the  matter  with  him.  He  answered  :  "I 
am  going  to  be  killed  if  I  do  not  get  across  the  water.  I  must  get 
across,  not  so  much  on  my  own  account  as  others,  for  if  I  am  killed  all 
the  rivers  and  lakes  will  dry  up  and  there  will  be  no  water  for  any  one. 
I  should  hate  to  die  and  cause  all  of  this  to  happen. ' ' 

The  Geese  thought  for  a  while,  and  then  decided  to  take  Coyote  and 
throw  him  into  a  deep  hole  ;  for  the  Geese  were  very  smart  people  in 
those  days  and  they  knew  that  Coyote  was  lying  to  them.  One  old 
Goose,  who  was  very  strong,  went  to  the  bank  and  told  Coyote  to  get 
on  his  back  if  he  wanted  to  go  across  the  water.  Coyote  said  that  he 
was  too  heavy  for  one  to  take  him  across  ;  that  he  would  not  trust  him- 
self to  one.  The  Goose  told  him  to  get  on  if  he  wanted  to  go  across  the 
water  ;  that  they  did  not  have  much  time  to  fool  away  with  him.  There 
was  nothing  else  to  do,  so  Coyote  got  on  the  old  Goose's  back.  The 
Goose  flew  up  in  the  air  so  quickly  that  Coyote  did  not  know  what  had 
happened  until  he  was  away  up  in  the  air.  All  the  other  Geese  flew  up, 
and  they  all  took  turns  in  carrying  him.  They  flew  over  a  timbered 
country  back  from  the  lake,  and  when  they  were  directly  over  a  large 
hollow  trunk  of  a  tree  they  dropped  Coyote.  He  fell  into  the  hollow 
trunk  and  could  not  get  out.  He  began  to  pray  for  power,  and  asked 
everything  all  around  for  help,  for  he  was  frightened  almost  to  death 
and  thought  he  would  never  get  out.  A  Fly  flew  into  the  hollow  tree, 
and  he  prayed  to  him  to  give  him  any  power  that  he  had  which  would 
help  him  out  of  the  tree.  The  Fly  said  that  his  power  was  too  weak 
to  help  Coyote,  but  that  he  would  go  to  a  friend  of  his  and  bring  him 
to  help  Coyote.  The  Fly  flew  away  and  soon  returned,  saying  that  his 
friend  was  coming.  Finally  he  heard  a  bird  on  a  tree  near  by,  and  he 


COYOTE,  THE   GEESE,  AND   THE   WOODPECKERS.  99 

peeped  out  of  a  small  hole  in  the  tree  and  saw  that  the  bird  was  a  Wood- 
pecker. The  Woodpecker  called  to  Coyote  and  asked  him  if  he  really 
wanted  to  get  out.  Coyote  answered  in  a  weak  voice  that  he  did.  The 
Woodpecker  said  that  he  had  to  go  and  get  some  one  to  come  and  help 
him.  Soon  Woodpecker  returned  with  some  of  his  brothers,  and  they 
began  to  peck  a  hole  in  the  hollow  tree.  At  last  the  hole  was  big  enough 
for  Coyote  to  get  out.  He  told  them  to  stick  their  heads  in  and  see  if 
they  thought  he  could  get  out  all  right.  They  stuck  their  heads  in  and 
Coyote  bit  their  heads  off.  After  he  had  eaten  all  the  Woodpeckers 
who  had  worked  to  make  the  hole  for  him,  he  escaped. 

62.  COYOTE  AND  RABBIT  KILL  A  BUFFALO.* 

Rabbit  and  his  grandmother  lived  by  themselves,  and  Rabbit  often 
went  out  to  hunt  to  get  something  for  them  to  eat.  He  began  to  go 
pretty  far  from  home,  and  his  grandmother  scolded  him  and  told  him 
not  to  go  so  far,  but  to  remember  that  he  was  little  and  might  be  killed. 
Rabbit  did  not  pay  any  attention,  for  he  knew  that  he  was  a  good  run- 
ner. One  time  he  went  far  away,  but  could  not  find  any  game,  and  so 
he  turned  around  to  go  home.  As  he  went  he  played  along  the  way 
and  sang  to  himself.  Coyote  was  out  the  same  day  looking  for  some- 
thing to  eat.  He  was  just  about  to  give  up  and  go  home  when  he  heard 
some  one  singing.  He  looked  all  about  and  saw  Rabbit.  He  grinned 
to  himself  and  quietly  slipped  up  behind  Rabbit.  When  he  knew  that 
he  was  so  close  that  Rabbit  could  not  get  away,  he  yelled  ' '  Bo  !  "  at 
Rabbit  and  made  a  grab  for  him.  Rabbit  was  badly  frightened,  but  he 
determined  not  to  give  up.  He  said  :  "  Coyote,  don't  kill  me  yet  and 
I  will  tell  you  how  to  kill  some  good  game.  I  can  not  do  it  alone,  and 
I  have  just  been  wishing  that  you  would  come  and  help  me  with  my 
scheme."  "  What  is  it  ?  "  asked  Coyote,  very  much  interested.  "I 
know  where  there  is  a  big  fat  buffalo  that  we  can  kill  if  you  will  go 
with  me. ' '  Coyote  went,  first  telling  Rabbit  that  if  he  lied  to  him  he 
would  kill  him  at  once.  Rabbit  led  the  way  to  a  place  where  an  old 
buffalo  stood.  They  went  up  to  the  buffalo,  and  Rabbit  told  Coyote  to 
climb  into  its  anus.  Coyote  obeyed  and  Rabbit  followed.  When  inside, 
Rabbit  told  Coyote  to  begin  to  bite  and  eat  the  buffalo's  sides.  They 
both  began  and  soon  the  buffalo  fell  dead.  Then  an  old  man  ran  up  to 
the  buffalo  and  began  to  butcher  it.  Rabbit  told  Coyote  to  hide  in  an 
intestine,  and  he  hid  in  the  bladder.  When  the  man  had  cut  up  the 
buffalo  he  placed  the  intestines  to  one  side,  but  threw  the  bladder  away 
in  the  bushes.  Rabbit  crawled  out  of  the  bladder  and  escaped,  but 
Coyote  was  discovered  and  killed. 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


100  TRADITIONS   OF  THE   CADDO. 


63.  COYOTE,  MOUNTAIN-LION,  AND  RABBIT.* 

One  time,  when  Coyote  was  out  hunting  for  something  to  eat,  he  heard 
something  crying  like  a  child.  He  ran  to  some  rocks  from  whence  the 
sound  came,  and  there  he  found  Mountain-Lion's  den  and  her  young 
left  there  alone.  He  determined  to  devour  them,  for  he  was  very  hungry, 
but  he  hesitated  because  he  feared  Mountain- Lion.  At  last  hunger 
got  the  better  of  his  judgment,  and,  saying  to  himself  that  he  was  not 
afraid  of  old  Mountain-Lion,  he  killed  and  ate  all  of  her  children. 

When  the  mother  came  back  from  the  hunt  with  food  for  her  young 
ones,  she  could  not  find  them.  She  looked  every  place,  and  soon  dis- 
covered Coyote's  foot-prints.  She  knew  at  once  what  had  happened. 
She  started  out  to  find  Coyote,  but  he  always  escaped  her.  After  she 
had  followed  him  many  days,  she  sat  down  on  the  bank  of  the  river  to 
rest.  Not  far  away  she  saw  some  one  and  she  at  once  recognized 
Rabbit.  She  determined  to  call  Rabbit  and  ask  him  to  help  her  catch 
Coyote,  for  he  was  the  enemy  of  both.  Mountain-Lion  called  to  him 
in  a  gentle  voice  so  as  not  to  frighten  him,  and  asked  him  to  come  to 
her,  for  she  wanted  to  speak  to  him.  Rabbit  was  afraid  at  first,  but 
when  Mountain-Lion  told  him  that  she  wanted  him  to  help  capture 
Coyote,  Rabbit  came.  They  started  along  the  river  together.  Soon 
they  found  a  deer.  Mountain-Lion  told  Rabbit  to  wait  while  she  killed 
the  deer.  She  followed  the  deer  into  the  thicket,  killed  it,  and  then 
called  Rabbit  to  come  and  help  her  cut  it  up.  When  they  had  butchered 
it,  Mountain-Lion  told  Rabbit  to  cover  her  face  with  fat  so  that  she 
could  not  be  recognized  ;  then  to  put  the  deer  on  her  back.  After  Rabbit 
had  done  that,  Mountain-Lion  told  him  to  get  on  top  of  the  deer  and 
to  drive  her  around  until  they  met  Coyote.  While  they  were  cross- 
ing the  prairie  they  heard  some  one  calling,  ' '  Rabbit,  where  did  you 
get  your  fine  horse  ? ' '  But  Rabbit  did  not  answer,  and  went  on  as 
though  he  had  not  heard  the  voice.  Again  the  voice  called,  "  Rabbit, 
did  not  you  hear  me ?  Wait,  I  say,  I  want  to  see  your  horse."  Rabbit 
went  on  until  Coyote,  for  it  was  he,  had  caught  up  with  him  ;  then  he 
said,  ' '  This  fine  horse  was  given  to  me. ' '  Coyote  said  :  * '  Get  right  off. 
That  horse  is  mine.  I  lost  it  and  you  have  found  it.  Get  right  off." 
Rabbit  pretended  to  be  afraid  and  jumped  off.  Just  as  Coyote  was 
about  to  get  on  the  horse,  he  stopped  to  bite  a  piece  of  fat  off  of  its 
face.  Then  he  recognized  Mountain-Lion  and  started  to  run  for  his 
life,  but  it  was  too  late.  Mountain-Lion  sprang  upon  him  and  killed 
him. 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


COYOTE   BECOMES   A   BUFFALO.  1OI 


64.  COYOTE  BECOMES  A  BUFFALO  * 

While  Coyote  was  out  hunting  something  to  eat  he  met  Buffalo,  who 
was  very  powerful  among  his  tribe.  He  was  eating  grass  and  looked 
fat  and  well  fed.  Coyote  asked  him  if  he  would  give  him  power  to 
turn  into  a  Buffalo  and  eat  grass  as  he  did.  Buffalo  said :  ' '  Yes,  I  will 
give  you  the  power  which  was  given  to  me  by  the  Great-Father-Above, 
but  when  I  give  you  the  power  you  must  not  use  it  every  chance  you 
get,  but  only  when  very  necessary. ' '  He  told  Coyote  to  stand  facing  the 
other  way  and  not  to  move,  but  to  be  brave  as  he  was.  Coyote  stood 
still,  wondering  what  was  going  to  happen  to  him.  Buffalo  began  to 
throw  up  dirt  with  his  hoofs  and  to  act  very  angrily.  He  told  Coyote 
to  keep  his  eyes  closed.  Then  he  made  a  plunge  toward  him,  and 
when  he  was  about  to  strike  him  with  his  horns,  Coyote  jumped  out 
of  the  way,  and  Buffalo  passed  him  without  touching  him.  He  did 
this  the  second,  third,  fourth,  fifth,  and  sixth  times,  but  the  seventh 
time  he  stood  there  without  moving.  He  could  hear  Buffalo  coming  at 
him,  but  he  stood  there  awaiting  what  would  happen  to  him.  Buffalo 
struck  him  and  rolled  him  under  his  stomach  with  his  horns  and  threw 
him  up  into  the  air.  When  he  came  down  on  his  feet  he  was  turned 
into  a  very  young  Buffalo.  He  began  to  eat  green  grass  at  once. 
Then  the  old  Buffalo  told  him  that  if  he  wanted  to  turn  into  a  Coyote 
again,  he  must  find  a  Buffalo  wallow,  roll  himself  over  two  or  three 
times,  and  then  he  would  arise  a  Coyote.  Again  Buffalo  cautioned 
him  not  to  use  his  power  too  often,  telling  him  that  the  power  was 
good  for  only  seven  times,  and  he  also  told  him  that  he  must  not  give 
the  power  to  any  one  else,  especially  to  any  of  his  own  race.  Before 
they  parted  the  real  Buffalo  told  Coyote  to  change  back  into  a  Coyote, 
and  he  did  so,  and  then  they  both  went  on  their  way.  Before  Coyote 
had  gone  far  from  Buffalo,  he  wanted  to  try  his  power  to  see  if  he 
could  use  it  alone.  He  did,  and  became  a  Buffalo.  During  that 
same  day  he  tried  his  power  three  or  four  times,  and  before  he  had 
met  any  one  he  had  tried  it  six  times,  and  had  turned  himself  into  a 
Buffalo  for  the  seventh  time.  While  he  was  a  Buffalo  he  met  one  of 
his  own  people,  a  famous  Coyote,  and  so  he  went  up  to  him  and  said  : 
"  Do  not  you  want  me  to  give  you  some  of  my  power,  so  that  you  can 
eat  grass  as  I  do  ?  You  look  as  though  you  were  very  hungry." 
"  Yes,"  said  Coyote.  "  Well,  all  right,"  said  Coyote-Buffalo.  "  Go 
off  a  short  distance  from  me  and  stand  there  and  face  the  other  way. 
Do  not  run,  but  be  brave  as  I  am.  Close  your  eyes.  Now,  I  am 

*  Told  by  White- Bread. 


102  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

ready,"  and  so  he  started  at  him,  but  the  other  Coyote  jumped  out  of 
the  way  every  time  until  the  last  time  came.  Then  Coyote  stood  his 
ground,  and  Coyote- Buffalo  rolled  him  under  his  stomach,  and  they 
both  went  up  in  the  air  and  came  down  on  their  feet.  They  were  both 
Coyotes,  and  they  stood  looking  at  each  other  for  a  time  ;  then  they 
separated  and  went  off. 

65.  COYOTE  AND  THE  TURKEYS  * 

Coyote  was  looking  for  something  to  eat,  for  he  was  hungry  as  ever. 
Finally,  on  his  way,  he  heard  a  noise.  He  thought  to  himself,  "  Some 
people  must  be  having  lots  of  fun,"  so  he  made  up  his  mind  to  go  and 
enjoy  himself  with  them.  He  went  in  the  direction  of  the  noise  and  he 
found  many  Turkeys.  They  were  having  fun  by  getting  into  a  large 
sack  and  rolling  down  a  steep  hill.  When  the  Turkeys  saw  him  coming 
they  said  that  they  were  going  to  put  him  in  too.  Coyote  came  and 
wanted  to  take  part  in  the  fun,  for  he  thought  it  a  good  chance  to  kill 
some  of  the  Turkeys.  He  let  the  Turkeys  roll  him  down  the  hill  two 
or  three  times  ;  then  he  thought  that  his  time  had  come  to  carry  out  his 
plan.  He  told  all  the  Turkeys  to  get  into  the  sack  and  he  would  roll 
them  down  the  hill.  Every  one  of  them  crawled  into  the  sack,  and  then 
Coyote  tied  it  fast  at  each  end,  so  that  they  could  not  get  out,  and  put 
it  on  his  back  and  started  for  home.  He  had  four  young  sons  at  home, 
and  calling  them  to  him  he  opened  the  sack  and  took  out  one  of  the 
Turkeys,  saying:  "You  see  this.  I  have  that  sack  full  of  Turkeys. 
Build  a  big  fire  and  we  will  have  a  feast."  They  built  a  fire,  but  did 
not  have  enough  wood  to  make  a  big,  hot  fire.  "  We  will  go  to  the 
timber  for  wood,  and  you, ' '  speaking  to  his  youngest  son,  ' '  stay  here  and 
watch  the  sack."  "Be  careful  not  to  untie  the  strings,"  said  Coyote. 
Then  he  and  his  three  sons  started  for  the  wood.  After  they  had  been 
gone  a  little  while  young  Coyote  thought  he  would  look  into  the  sack 
and  see  what  the  Turkeys  were  doing.  He  untied  the  strings,  and  just 
as  soon  as  he  untied  the  strings  the  Turkeys  all  ran  out  and  flew  away. 
Young  Coyote  did  not  know  what  to  do,  but  finally  he  decided  to  put 
some  dirt  in  the  sack  and  fool  his  father  that  way.  He  went  to  work 
and  filled  the  sack  with  dirt.  His  father  returned  and  said,  "  Now, 
children,  we  will  have  a  fine  feast,"  and  went  to  the  sack  to  kill  three 
or  four  more  of  the  Turkeys  ;  but  when  he  opened  the  sack  he  found 
nothing  but  dirt  in  it.  Coyote  was  very  angry  at  his  son,  and  he  asked 
him  how  he  had  let  the  Turkeys  get  away,  and  the  boy  told  him  all 
about  it.  Coyote  killed  his  young  son  and  ate  him  in  place  of  the 
Turkeys. 

*Told  by  White-Bread. 


COYOTE'S  BYES  ARE  REPLACED  BY  BUCKEYES.  103 

66.  COYOTE'S  EYES  ARE  REPLACED  BY  BUCKEYES.* 

One  time  Coyote  was  out  hunting  something  to  eat,  and  on  his  way 
he  heard  a  noise  and  he  said  to  himself,  "  I  think  those  are  some  Tur- 
keys that  escaped  from  me  some  time  ago.  They  will  not  get  away 
this  time,  for  I  will  kill  them  before  I  get  home."  And  so  he  made 
up  his  mind  to  go  and  see  what  they  were  doing,  and  to  catch  them. 
When  he  'went  to  the  place,  he  found  Ducks  playing  about  in  the 
water.  When  they  saw  Coyote  coming  they  knew  him  at  once,  for 
they  had  often  heard  about  him.  They  came  out  of  the  water  and 
stood  on  the  bank,  and  when  he  came  up  they  asked  him  if  he  would 
like  to  play  with  them.  He  said,  "  Yes,  that  is  just  what  I  want  to 
do,  and  I  will  show  you  some  of  my  tricks  after  you  show  me  some  of 
yours."  They  debated  what  to  play,  and  one  of  the  Ducks  spoke  up 
and  said  :  ' '  We  will  play  in  the  water.  We  will  take  one  man  and 
take  his  eyes  out  and  let  him  dive  into  the  water  just  as  long  as  he  can 
hold  his  breath,  and  as  soon  as  he  goes  under  the  water  we  will  throw 
his  eyes  into  the  water  after  him,  and  when  he  comes  out  from  under 
the  water  his  eyes  will  be  in  their  place.  How  do  you  like  that  ? ' ' 
the  Duck  asked  Coyote.  "  That  is  all  right,"  said  Coyote.  "  Well, 
we  will  commence  now."  The  first  Duck  had  his  eyes  taken  out,  and 
then  he  dived  into  the  water  and  his  eyes  were  thrown  in  after  him, 
and  when  he  came  up  he  had  them  in  their  place.  Then  another  took 
his  turn,  and  so  on  until  every  one  of  the  Ducks  had  tried,  and  then 
Coyote's  turn  came.  His  eyes  were  taken  out  and  thrown  into  the 
water  after  him,  and  he  came  out  with  his  eyes  in  their  place.  The 
Ducks  were  given  power  to  do  most  anything  that  they  wanted,  but 
they  had  the  power  to  do  each  thing  only  once.  Coyote  wanted  to  try 
the  trick  once  more,  but  the  Ducks  did  not  want  him  to  try  it  again, 
for  they  knew  that  their  power  was  limited  to  one  time.  Coyote  kept 
begging  them,  and  finally  the  Ducks  let  him  try  the  trick  again,  and  so 
they  took  his  eyes  out  and  he  dived  into  the  water.  The  Ducks  knew 
that  they  could  not  put  the  eyes  in  place  again,  and  so  they  flew  away 
and  left  Coyote.  While  he  was  going  along  he  was  talking  and 
crying.  He  was  asking  some  one  who  had  greater  powers  than  he  to 
help  him  out  of  his  trouble  and  to  give  him  eyes  again.  Finally  a 
man  found  him  and  he  told  him  that  he  would  help  him  all  he  could, 
and  told  him  to  wait  there  until  he  returned.  He  went  off  to  find 
something  with  which  to  make  Coyote  some  new  eyes.  He  was  gone 
for  a  while,  and  when  he  returned  he  had  some  green  buckeye  balls. 

*  Told  by  White-Bread. 


104  TRADITIONS  OF  THE  CADDO. 

He  told  Coyote  to  be  brave  once  more,  that  he  was  going  to  hit  him 
where  the  right  eye  was  with  the  buckeye  ball,  and  then  where  the 
left  eye  was  with  another  ball,  and  then  he  would  be  able  to  see  ;  and  so 
he  did,  and  thus  Coyote's  eyes  were  restored. 

67.  COYOTE  AND  TURTLE  RUN  A  RACE  * 

One  time,  as  Coyote  was  returning  from  a  long  and  unsuccessful  hunt 
for  game,  he  passed  the  home  of  his  old  friend  Turtle.  Being  weary 
and  hungry  and  in  no  hurry,  he  decided  to  stop  and  make  Turtle  a  visit. 
Turtle  invited  him  in  and  offered  him  something  to  eat,  as  Coyote  had 
hoped  that  he  would.  While  Coyote  ate,  Turtle  stretched  himself  out 
to  rest,  saying,  "I  am  tired  out.  I  have  just  come  back  from  the 
races."  Coyote  asked  what  races.  "Our  people  have  been  having 
foot  races  down  by  the  river.  Have  not  you  heard  of  them  ? ' '  Coyote 
smiled  at  the  thought  of  Turtle's  racing  and  said  that  he  had  not  heard 
of  the  races,  and  if  he  had  he  surely  would  have  been  there.  "  Who 
won?"  he  asked.  "I  did,"  said  Turtle.  "I  have  never  yet  been 
beaten  in  a  race  with  my  people."  Coyote  answered,  "  I  have  never 
been  beaten  either.  I  wonder  how  a  race  between  us  would  come  out. ' ' 
' '  The  way  to  find  out  is  to  have  a  race,"  Turtle  said.  ' '  I  am  willing, 
if  you  are.  When  shall  we  have  it?  "  Coyote  answered.  They  deter- 
mined to  run  the  race  two  days  hence.  In  the  meantime  Coyote  had 
finished  eating,  and  so,  promising  to  come  on  the  second  day  to  run  the 
race,  he  departed. 

When  he  arrived  home  Coyote  sent  his  son  to  call  all  of  the  Coyote 
people  and  announce  to  them  that  his  father  was  going  to  run  a  race 
with  Turtle,  and  that  he  wanted  them  all  to  come  and  bet  heavily  on  the 
race,  for  of  course  he  would  defeat  Turtle.  As  soon  as  Coyote  had  gone 
Turtle  sent  his  son  out  to  announce  that  his  father  was  going  to  run  a 
race  with  Coyote,  and  that  he  wanted  all  of  the  best  runners  to  come 
to  his  lodge.  They  all  came  and  listened  to  Turtle's  plan  to  beat  Coyote 
in  the  race.  Turtle  arose  when  they  came  in  and  said  :  ' '  We  alf.know 
that  Coyote  is  a  good  runner,  but  he  is  also  a  cheat.  He  has  cheated 
us  in  many  ways.  Let  us  now  cheat  him  out  of  this  race.  Will  you 
help  me  do  it  ?  "  Every  one  present  agreed  to  help  him.  Then  he  con- 
tinued :  "  This  is  my  plan.  I  want  each  one  of  you  to  put  a  white 
feather  in  your  hair  just  like  the  one  I  wear,  and  paint  yourselves  to 
look  just  like  me.  Then  station  yourselves  at  intervals  along  the  course. 
Coyote  will  run  with  his  head  down,  as  he  always  does.  One  of  you 
will  start  with  him,  but  when  he  has  left  you  far  behind  drop  down  in 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


COYOTE  AND  TURTLE  RUN  A  RACE.  105 

the  grass.  Then  the  next  one  will  jump  up  and  run.  Coyote  will  look 
up  and  see  you  ahead,  then  he  will  run  until  he  passes  you.  Then  the 
next  one  will  jump  up  and  run,  and  so  on  until  the  last  one.  I  will  be 
the  last,  and  beat  him  over  the  goal."  The  Turtles  talked  over  the 
plan,  then  arose  and  went  home  to  prepare  for  the  race. 

The  first  day  passed,  and  then  the  day  came  when  they  had  to  run 
the  race.  Early  in  the  morning  the  Turtles  stationed  themselves  along 
the  way  in  the  tall  grass,  and  soon  Coyote  came.  They  began  to 
discuss  the  distance  they  should  run.  Turtle  wanted  to  run  a  long 
distance,  but  Coyote  did  not  want  to  go  a  very  long  distance ;  he 
thought  that  he  could  beat  Turtle  in  a  short  distance  just  as  easily  as 
in  a  long  distance,  and  he  did  not  care  to  tire  himself.  Turtle  insisted, 
and  so  Coyote  said  that  he  would  agree  to  any  distance  that  he  would 
mention.  Many  Coyotes  came  and  began  to  bet  on  Coyote. 

They  started  to  run  and  all  the  Coyotes  began  to  laugh,  for  their  man 
was  far  ahead,  but  soon  to  their  surprise  Turtle  was  ahead.  Coyote 
overtook  Turtle,  and  then  they  began  to  laugh  again.  Soon  they  heard 
the  Turtles  cheering,  and  to  their  amazement  Turtle  was  far  in  the  lead. 
Again  Coyote  overtook  Turtle,  and  again  Turtle  came  up  far  in  the 
lead.  The  Coyotes  cheered  one  moment  and  the  Turtles  the  next. 
Just  as  Coyote  had  passed  Turtle  and  was  near  the  goal,  Turtle  crossed 
the  line,  and  all  the  Turtles  set  up  a  loud  cheer.  Coyote  ran  off  in 
the  grass,  and  is  wondering  yet  how  Turtle  beat  him  in  the  race,  and 
all  the  other  Coyotes  are  angry  at  him  because  he  lost  the  race  and 
caused  them  to  lose  so  many  bets. 

68.  COYOTE,  WILD-CAT,  AND  THE  OLD  WOMAN. 

An  old,  blind  woman  lived  all  alone.  Her  home  was  far  away,  and 
no  one  ever  came  to  see  her  and  few  people  even  passed  by.  Though 
she  was  blind  and  old  she  somehow  always  had  plenty  to  eat  and  seemed 
to  get  along  as  well  as  any  one  else.  She  always  had  her  pot  full  of 
meat,  and  those  who  passed  could  smell  it  cooking,  and  they  wondered 
who  brought  the  meat  to  her.  Whenever  she  sat  down  to  eat  she 
would  always  say,  "All  ready  for  dinner,"  just  as  though  she  were 
calling  some  one  to  come  and  eat  with  her ;  then  she  would  say, ' '  Orphan, 
I  was  only  talking  to  myself. ' ' 

One  day  Wild- Cat  happened  to  come  to  her  house  while  he  was  out 
looking  for  something  to  eat.  He  smelled  the  cooking  meat,  and  so 
decided  to  stop  a  while.  When  he  went  in  he  saw  that  the  old  woman 
was  blind.  He  slipped  quietly  to  a  corner  and  sat  with  one  eye  on  the 
boiling  pot  and  the  other  on  the  old  woman  while  he  tried  to  make  a 

8D 


IO6  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

plan  to  steal  the  meat.  After  a  while  the  old  woman  took  the  pot  off 
of  the  fire  and  sat  down  to  eat,  but  first  she  called,  "All  ready  for 
dinner.  Orphan,  I  was  only  talking  to  myself."  Wild-Cat  sprang  up 
ready  to  run,  for  he  thought  that  she  saw  him  and  was  talking  to  him. 
When  she  did  not  say  anything  more,  but  began  to  eat,  he  forgot  his 
fright  and  slipped  over  and  began  to  eat,  too.  He  ate  very  quietly, 
being  careful  not  to  crack  any  bones  or  to  make  any  noise  in  chewing 
or  swallowing.  He  ate  until  there  was  only  a  little  left  in  the  pot ; 
then  he  slipped  quietly  out.  After  that  he  came  there  every  day  and 
ate  so  much  that  he  grew  slick  and  fat. 

One  day  Coyote  met  Wild-Cat  and  said  :  "  You  always  seem  to  have 
plenty  to  eat,  and  yet  I  never  see  you  kill  any  game.  Where  do  you 
get  so  much  to  eat  ?  "  Wild- Cat  told  Coyote  how  he  went  to  the  old 
woman's  home  and  ate  from  her  pot  every  day.  Coyote  wanted  to  go 
along,  and  so  Wild- Cat  agreed  to  take  him,  but  first  he  made  him 
promise  to  keep  very  quiet  and  to  do  only  what  he  was  told.  Coyote 
promised,  and  so  they  started  to  the  old  woman's  place.  When  they 
came  near  Coyote  smelled  the  cooking  meat  and  started  to  run  on  ahead, 
but  Wild-Cat  pulled  him  back.  They  slipped  inside  and  sat  near  the 
door  while  the  meat  was  cooking.  When  the  old  woman  took  the  pot 
off  of  the  fire  and  called,  "All  ready  for  dinner,"  Coyote  jumped  up, 
and  it  was  all  Wild-Cat  could  do  to  hold  him  back.  When  the  old 
woman  began  to  eat,  Wild-Cat  and  Coyote  slipped  up  and  quietly  stole 
meat  out  of  the  pot.  Coyote  put  a  big  piece  in  his  mouth  and  began 
to  chew  so  hard  that  he  forgot  all  about  keeping  quiet.  His  jaw  came 
down  on  a  bone  and  it  cracked  so  loud  that  the  old  woman  jumped  up. 
Wild- Cat  saw  his  jaw  coming  down  on  the  bone  and  was  out  of  the 
house  by  the  time  the  old  woman  jumped  up.  She  ran  to  the  door 
and  closed  it,  and  then  took  a  long  spear  that  stood  in  the  corner  and 
began  to  poke  around  in  the  room.  Coyote  slipped  about  for  some 
time,  but  finally  the  spear  pierced  him  and  he  cried  out  with  pain. 
Then  the  old  woman  knew  for  sure  that  some  one  was  in  the  house,  and 
so  she  kept  on  poking  until  she  killed  him.  Wild- Cat  came  back  next 
day  and  found  Coyote  dead.  He  was  sorry,  not  because  he  cared  for 
Coyote,  but  because  he  was  afraid  to  go  in  the  old  woman's  house 
again  to  eat,  for  fear  she  would  kill  him. 

69.  COYOTE  CHALLENGES  THE  SNAKE  » 

One  time  while  Coyote  was  out  hunting  something  to  eat  he  decided 
to  go  where  Snake  lived.  He  started  in  the  direction  he  thought  Snake 
lived  and  went  to  many  places,  but  he  could  not  find  him.  He  went 

*  Told  by  Annie  Wilson. 


COYOTE   CHAI,I,ENGES  THE  SNAKE.  107 

along  talking  to  himself,  saying,  "I  thought  so;  Snake  is  not  so 
poisonous  as  people  think,  and  if  I  ever  find  him  I  will  show  him  my 
power."  He  kept  going  from  place  to  place.  Finally  he  came  to  one 
place  and  thought  he  would  stop  and  rest  for  a  while.  He  was  not 
there  very  long  when  he  heard  some  one  calling  him.  He  arose  and 
looked  around  and  saw  Snake  coming  toward  him.  When  Snake  came 
up  to  him,  Coyote  asked  him  how  he  was  getting  along  in  the  world, 
since  he  had  been  made  so  small.  "  You  look  so  small  that  I  do  not 
think  you  can  do  very  much  harm  to  any  one,  though  I  have  heard 
many  times  that  you  have  much  poison.  They  say  that  you  are  more 
dangerous  than  I,  and  so  that  is  the  reason  I  have  gone  from  place  to 
place  looking  for  you.  Now  that  I  have  met  you  I  want  you  to  show 
me  in  what  way  you  are  more  powerful  and  dangerous  than  I  am." 
Snake  said:  "Yes,  I  look  very  small  to  you,  but  you  know  that 
although  I  am  small  I  am  given  power  by  our  Father,  and  by  his  aid 
I  have  done  many  things  in  this  world.  I  have  killed  many  animals, 
large  and  small.  Now  you  have  come  to  see  me,  and  whatever  you 
want  me  to  do  I  will  do  it ;  but  first  tell  me  what  you  want  me  to  do." 
* '  Well, ' '  said  Coyote,  ' '  I  want  to  see  which  of  us  has  the  most  power. ' ' 
"All  right,"  said  Snake,  "you  may  bite  me  just  once  anywhere  you 
like,  and  I  will  bite  you,  too,  and  in  that  way  we  will  see  who  has  the 
more  power."  "  But  you  have  to  bite  me  first,"  said  Coyote.  "All 
right,"  said  Snake,  and  went  up  to  Coyote  and  bit  him  on  the  top 
of  his  nose,  and  then  said  :  "  That  is  all  I  can  do."  Coyote  stood 
there  as  though  he  was  not  hurt  at  all.  He  asked  Snake  if  that  was 
all  he  could  do,  and  Snake  said  :  ' '  That  is  the  best  I  can  do  to  show 
you  my  power. ' '  Coyote  said  :  ' '  Well,  it  is  my  time  to  show  you  my 
power."  "Yes,"  said  Snake,  and  so  Coyote  came  up  to  Snake  and 
bit  him  nearly  in  two.  Snake  cried  out  and  begged  Coyote  to  let  him 
go.  "  Now,"  said  Coyote  to  Snake,  "  you  lie  there  and  I  will  lie  here. 
We  will  call  to  each  other  every  now  and  then,  so  that  we  can  see  who 
will  live  the  longer."  Snake  went  a  little  way  off  and  laid  down, 
acting  as  though  he  were  about  to  die.  Coyote  also  went  off  a  little 
way  and  lay  down.  He  was  thinking  Snake  would  die  in  a  little  while, 
and  so  he  called  out  to  him.  Coyote  could  just  hear  him  answer  in  a 
weak  voice,  as  though  he  was  almost  dead.  After  a  while  he  heard 
Snake  calling  him  and  he  answered  with  a  big  voice.  They  kept  on 
.calling  to  one  another  all  night.  Toward  daylight  Snake  called  Coyote, 
but  no  answer  came  from  him.  He  called  again,  but  still  no  answer. 
The  third  and  fourth  times  he  called,  but  there  was  no  answer.  Snake 
went  over  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  and  when  he  got  there  he  found 
Coyote  all  swollen  and  dead.  Snake  was  more  dangerous  than  Coyote. 


io8  TRADITIONS  OF  THE  CADDO. 

70.  COYOTE  TURNS  INTO  A  CORN  MILL  * 

The  women  made  their  corn  mills  from  the  trunk  of  an  old  tree. 
They  cut  a  piece  about  two  feet  through  and  three  or  four  feet  high 
and  hollowed  it  about  twelve  inches  deep  in*  one  end.  There  they 
placed  their  corn  and  ground  it  to  meal  with  a  pounder.  There  were 
many  of  these  mills,  but  one  that  was  very  old  and  smooth  the  women 
liked  best. 

One  day  a  woman  went  to  use  the  old  corn  mill,  and  as  she  pounded 
her  corn  she  saw  that  it  was  diminishing  too  fast,  and  when  she  had  it 
ground  she  saw  that  she  had  only  a  little.  She  gathered  up  her  meal 
and  said  nothing,  but  watched  the  next  woman  pound  her  corn.  It 
disappeared  in  the  same  way,  and  so  did  the  corn  of  the  third  and  the 
fourth  women  who  came  to  use  the  mill.  They  all  wondered  what 
could  be  the  matter  with  the  mill,  and  they  examined  it  carefully  and 
saw  that  it  was  not  the  old  mill  that  they  had  always  used.  One  of 
the  women  cried  out  to  get  an  axe  and  cut  it  and  see  where  their  corn 
had  disappeared.  As  one  of  the  women  ran  to  get  an  axe  the  mill  fell 
over  and  began  to  roll  about,  and  Coyote  jumped  up  from  the  place 
where  the  mill  had  been  and  ran  away.  Coyote  had  turned  into  a  corn 
mill  and  hidden  the  old  one  so  that  he  could  get  all  he  wanted  to  eat. 

*  Told  by  Wing. 


ABSTRACTS. 


i.   THE  CREATION  AND  EARI/Y  MIGRATIONS. 

In  beginning  darkness  rules.  Man  comes,  and  soon  there  is  village  with  thousands 
of  people.  Man  disappears  ;  returns  with  seeds.  He  says  Sun  is  coming  and  will 
be  given  power  by  Great- Father- Above.  Unknown  man  tells  people  to  select  chief. 
In  council  is  Coyote,  who  tells  people  to  call  unknown  man  Moon,  because  he  is 
first  created  man  on  earth.  People  make  Moon  chief,  and  he  selects  errand-man 
to  summon  people,  and  chief  tells  them  they  are  to  move  to  better  world.  They 
divide  into  groups  and  select  leaders,  and  chief  gives  each  leader  drum  and  tells 
them  to  sing  and  beat  their  drums.  None  of  them  is  to  look  back,  lest  they  should 
be  stopped  and  stay  in  darkness.  People  move  westward  and  come  out  of  ground 
to  another  world.  Coyote  tells  chief  world  is  too  small,  and  looks  back.  Half 
go  back  and  others  go  on  west.  Chief  throws  dirt  in  front  of  him  and  forms  high 
mountains.  People  come  to  mountains  and  there  make  their  first  homes.  Moon 
goes  to  mountain  top  and  sees  people  have  scattered  in  different  directions.  When 
together  they  spoke  Caddo  ;  now  each  group  speaks  different  language.  Moon 
says  direction  to  right  is  north,  or  cold  side  ;  that  to  left  south,  or  warm  side.  Sun 
comes  up  from  east  and  goes  down  in  west.  He  goes  too  fast  to  do  any  good,  so 
Coyote  starts  eastward  and  tells  Sun  he  wants  to  talk  with  him.  They  walk 
together  slowly,  and  when  half  way  to  west  Coyote  tells  Sun  he  is  going  to  defe- 
cate and  asks  him  to  wait  a  while.  Coyote  goes  behind  bushes  and  then  runs 
away.  Sun  waits  ;  then  starts  on  slowly,  still  waiting  for  Coyote.  Beginning  of 
real  people  was  in  village  called  Tall-Timber-on-Top-of-the-Hill.  Moon  calls  people 
together  first  time  in  new  world,  and  says  child  will  soon  be  born  of  woman  and 
will  have  more  power  than  any  one  else.  He  will  name  himself  Medicine-Screech- 
Owl,  after  former  chief,  and  have  with  him  bow  and  arrows.  Child  comes  and  has 
bow  and  arrows.  On  his  first  birthday  he  names  himself  Medicine-Screech-Owl.  He 
says  bow  and  arrows  are  for  men  to  kill  game.  He  teaches  people  to  make  bows 
and  arrows.  In  those  times  animals  talked  to  human  beings  and  they  understood 
one  another.  Afterward  some  human  beings  turned  into  animals.  Medicine- 
Screech-Owl  visits  most  ferocious  animals  in  behalf  of  people.  People  have  little 
to  eat,  except  man  and  woman  known  as  Buzzard,  who  have  plenty  of  meat. 
Coyote,  in  order  to  find  out  where  they  get  so  much  meat,  turns  into  dog.  Buzzards 
find  little  dog.  Man  says  it  is  not  real  dog.  To  find  out  whether  it  is  real  dog, 
woman  pinches  its  ear  and  it  howls  like  dog.  Man  tells  woman  to  give  dog  some 
meat  to  see  whether  it  eats  fast.  She  does  so,  and  Coyote  takes  his  time  in  eating 
it.  So  Buzzard  believes  woman  and  they  keep  dog.  Coyote  stays  with  them  until 
meat  gives  out  and  then  watches  them.  Buzzard  starts  out  after  more  meat,  leaving 
dog  at  home.  He  follows  and  finds  out  where  they  get  their  meat.  Three  days 
afterward  he  goes  to  cave  with  rock  as  door,  where  he  had  seen  Buzzards  at  work. 
He  opens  place  and  out  come  thousands  of  buffalo.  Buzzard  discovers  what  has 
happened,  but  dog  has  gone.  Coyote  tells  people  to  make  bows  and  arrows,  as 
buffalo  are  coming.  Buzzards  now  have  to  look  for  dead  meat ;  so  they  become 
real  buzzards.  As  time  passes  on,  people  notice  that  Moon  pays  no  attention  to 

109 


110  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

them  and  stays  at  home.  He  is  unmarried  and  lives  with  his  father  and  mother 
and  one  very  young  sister.  Unknown  to  his  father  and  mother,  Moon  goes  by 
night  to  see  his  own  sister.  She  does  not  know  who  he  is  ;  but  one  night  she  put 
black  paint  on  her  fingers,  and  when  man  comes  she  passes  fingers  across  fore- 
head and  makes  black  marks.  In  morning  she  sees  marks  on  his  forehead.  When 
Moon  learns  that  people  are  finding  out  about  him,  he  is  ashamed  and  wishes  to 
leave  them.  Father- Above  takes  him  away  and  places  him  far  above,  where  people 
can  see  his  shame  marks  on  his  forehead.  After  Moon  has  gone,  people  select 
Medicine-Screech-Owl  as  chief.  He  makes  them  move  westward,  climbing  moun- 
tains. At  top  they  see  large  lake,  and  Medicine-Screech-Owl  says  waters  are  tears 
shed  by  Moon  for  wrongs  he  had  done  his  people.  People  keep  moving  on  west- 
ward and  make  bows  and  arrows.  They  go  long  distance  to  hunt  buffalo  and 
other  animals.  One  place  they  dare  not  go  to,  as  in  water  there  is  most  ferocious 
animal.  Medicine-Screech-Owl  goes  to  kill  animal.  He  makes  narrow  road 
through  thicket  and  sees  animal.  He  has  bow  and  some  corn  to  use  in  killing  it. 
He  throws  corn  into  air  and  it  becomes  blackbirds,  which  fly  over  head  of  animal. 
When  animal  rises  to  draw  blackbirds  down,  Medicine-Screech-Owl  shoots  it 
through  heart,  first  from  right,  then  from  left  side.  Animal  falls  and  dies.  Coyote 
now  becomes  bad  man  and  makes  all  kind  of  trouble  among  people.  Medicine- 
Screech-Owl  tells  Coyote  he  must  go,  but  on  Coyote's  saying  he  is  going  to  stop 
his  mean  tricks,  chief  allows  him  to  stay  until  he  should  be  captured  or  killed  at 
any  time. 

2.    THE  ORIGIN  OF  DAY  AND  NIGHT. 

In  beginning  people  live  in  darkness.  They  discuss  how  they  can  get  light. 
Man  who  is  prophet  is  appointed  by  Coyote  to  investigate.  Prophet  reports  that 
there  are  yellow,  black,  spotted,  half-spotted,  and  white  deer.  He  says  that  if 
they  kill  both  black  and  white  deer  they  will  have  day  and  night.  They  hunt 
until  they  kill  black  and  white  deer,  and  from  that  time  we  have  had  day  and  night. 

3.    THE  ORIGIN  OF  ANIMALS. 

People  and  animals  live  together  and  are  same  in  beginning.  After  a  time  there 
is  not  food  for  all.  Council  is  held  and  chiefs  determine  that  some  shall  become 
animals  and  be  hunted  for  food.  People  living  near  burnt  grass  are  rolled  in 
ashes  until  they  become  bears.  They  are  given  ten  lives.  When  killed  first  time, 
second  life  is  to  arise  from  blood  spilled  upon  ground,  and  so  on  through  other 
lives  up  to  tenth,  bear  to  become  fiercer  each  life,  and  finally  to  eat  human  beings. 
People  living  near  long  grass  are  rolled  and  become  buffalo.  They  are  given  ten 
lives  and  put  to  live  upon  prairie.  Deer  are  made  in  same  way,  and  after  them  all 
other  animals. 

4.  COYOTE  REGULATES  LIFE  AFTER  DEATH. 

Coyote  proposes  rule  that  when  any  one  dies  he  shall  be  dead  forever  and  no 
living  person  ever  see  him  again.  People  are  well  pleased,  and  from  that  time 
when  anybody  dies  he  is  gone  forever.  People  are  taken  to  sky  and  become  stars. 
Morning-Star  has  three  brothers,  and  he  is  leader.  He  gets  up  early  now,  because 
formerly  he  was  errand-man  and  had  to  rise  early.  His  brothers  are  Evening-Star, 
North-Star,  and  South-Star.  They  watch  lest  enemy  should  approach.  Their 
father  was  Great-Star  and  was  chief  of  people.  They  believe  every  one  when  he 
dies  goes  up  to  sky. 


ABSTRACTS.  Ill 

5.    COYOTE  AND  THE  ORIGIN  OF  DEATH. 

In  beginning  there  is  no  death,  but  there ^are  so  many  people  that  there  is  no 
room  for  any  more.  Coyote  thinks  people  should  die  for  good,  but  all  others 
decide  that  people  shall  come  back.  Medicine-Men  build  a  grass  lodge  and  tell 
people  that  when  white  and  black  eagle  feather  on  top  becomes  bloody  and  falls 
over,  they  will  know  some  one  has  died.  Then  Medicine-Men  will  sing  and  call 
spirit  to  grass  house  and  they  will  restore  it  to  life  again.  Sign  shows  that  some 
one  is  dead.  Medicine-Men  sing,  and  in  ten  days  whirlwind  blows  from  west, 
circles  about,  and  finally  enters  by  east.  From  it  appears  handsome  young  men. 
People  rejoice,  except  Coyote,  who  is  displeased.  After  feather  becomes  bloody 
and  falls,  Coyote  goes  to  grass  house  and  sits  near  door  with  singers.  When  he 
hears  whirlwind  coming  and  it  is  about  to  enter,  he  shuts  door.  Spirit  finding  door 
closed  whirls  on  by.  Death  forever  was  then  introduced.  Ever  since  then  spirits 
of  dead  wander  over  earth  until  they  find  road  to  spirit  land.  Coyote  runs  away, 
and  ever  since  he  runs  from  one  place  to  another,  looking  back  to  see  if  he  is  being 
pursued.  He  starves,  as  no  one  will  give  him  food. 

6.  THE  SECOND  MAN  WHO  CAME  OUT  OF  THE  EARTH. 

Moon  first  man  to  come  out  of  earth  into  world.  Second  man  is  Tonin,  who  is 
greater  than  Moon  and  more  powerful.  He  is  four  feet  high  and  rides  horse  no 
bigger  than  dog.  He  can  turn  darkness  into  light  and  have  anything  he  wishes 
for.  By  wishing  he  can  go  any  distance,  and  he  can  kill  any  game  by  pointing 
his  forefinger  at  it.  From  time  to  time  he  disappears  into  sky.  He  can  foretell 
future.  He  calls  people  together  and  tells  them  about  this  world,  and  says  in  six 
days  he  is  going  away  and  will  be  gone  six  winters  and  seven  summers.  He  wishes 
them  to  come  and  see  him  start.  On  sixth  day  Tonin  sings  death  song,  and  is 
gradually  lifted  up  from  earth  to  sky.  When  it  is  time  for  him  to  return ,  stars  become 
brighter  and  larger.  When  day  comes  and  Tonin 's  brother  gives  sign  that  he  is 
about  to  return,  large  stars  come  up  in  east  and  Tonin  comes  back  to  earth.  He 
tells  people  about  future,  and  that  strange  people  will  come  and  frighten  away 
buffalo,  deer,  and  bear.  After  some  time  he  tells  people  he  is  going  as  before,  but 
that  he  will  not  return.  He  goes  up  into  sky. 

7.  SNAKE- WOMAN  DISTRIBUTES  SEEDS. 

Great-Father  gives  seeds  of  all  growing  things  to  Snake- Woman.  Afterward 
she  and  her  two  sons  travel  over  world  to  carry  seeds  to  people.  They  give  six 
seeds  of  each  kind  of  plant  to  every  person.  Snake- Woman  says  they  are  not  to 
allow  any  one,  especially  children,  to  touch  them  or  ever  point  to  them  as  they  grow. 
If  any  one  gathers  seeds  too  soon  she  will  send  poisonous  snakes  to  bite  them. 

8.  THE  FLOOD. 

Waters  of  earth  dry  up.  People  become  crazed  and  cut  to  pieces  dead  animals 
that  dwelt  in  water,  thinking  them  responsible  for  water  disappearing.  They  see 
man  in  sky  coining  from  west.  Wind  blows  and  man  lights  on  ground,  carrying 
small  green  leaf.  He  tells  people  they  have  abused  him  and  he  is  angry.  He 
motions  leaf  in  four  directions  and  water  falls  from  it.  Waters  grow  in  volume 
and  rise  all  over  world  to  highest  mountains  except  one.  To  this  mountain  man 
leads  few  of  people,  and  they  stay  four  days.  As  waters  rise  man  causes  moun- 
tain to  rise.  When  green  things  appear  on  earth  again,  he  leads  people  down  from 
mountain.  They  find  many  people  have  been  turned  into  alligators  and  other 
water  animals. 


112  TRADITIONS   OF  THE   CADDO. 

9.  THE  EFFEMINATE  MAN  WHO  INTRODUCED  STRIFE. 

Man  works  and  dresses  like  women  and  goes  with  them.  War  breaks  out,  and 
all  men  go  to  fight  but  this  one.  Old  man  threatens  to  kill  him  if  he  will  not  fight. 
Man  refuses  to  go,  and  when  old  man  threatens  to  have  him  killed  by  warriors  on 
their  return,  he  says  they  can  not  kill  him  and  he  will  bewitch  people  and  cause 
them  to  fight  and  kill  one  another.  Old  man  incites  warriors  to  kill  man  as 
coward,  and  they  beat  him  until  they  think  he  is  dead.  He  jumps  up  alive  and 
they  cut  off  his  head.  He  runs  about  headless.  People  notice  spot  on  little  finger 
of  left  hand.  They  cut  it  out  and  man  lies  down  and  dies.  Soon  after,  people 
begin  to  fight  and  quarrel  and  kill  each  other.  Then  old  man  tells  people  what 
coward  had  said,  and  they  are  sorry  they  killed  him. 

10.   THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  MEDICINE-MEN. 

In  days  of  old,  people  and  animals  are  on  friendly  terms.  Animals  possess  won- 
derful powers  and  give  people  power  in  dreams  or  visions.  Man  who  has  had 
dream  remains  several  days  in  silence.  He  then  calls  friends  and  old  men  to  lodge 
and  teaches  them  his  songs  and  dances.  They  all  call  themselves  medicine-men, 
and  if  any  one  is  sick  they  hold  dance  in  grass  lodge  for  six  days  and  nights. 
First  medicine-men  to  receive  power  and  give  dance  are  two  young  brothers. 
They  are  brave  hunters.  In  sleep  in  lonely  woods  both  have  dream,  in  which  they 
walk  together  toward  east.  They  see  man  coming  rapidly  toward  them.  He 
stops  and  after  long  talk  reveals  bag  and  asks  them  choose  any  kind  of  medicine. 
He  gives  them  medicine  for  long  life  and  teaches  them  how  to  use  it.  When  boys 
wake  up,  each  remembers  dream,  but  says  nothing.  After  many  months  each  begins 
to  try  his  powers.  War  breaks  out  with  Chickasaw  and  many  are  killed  or  taken 
prisoners.  Chickasaw  on  way  home  have  war  dances  and  dance  around  prisoners. 
Young  man  escapes,  and  when  Chickasaw  come  after  him  he  crawls  into  hollow 
log.  After  they  return  he  crawls  out  and  goes  home.  Many  men  are  away  when 
Chickasaw  make  attack,  among  them  two  brothers  with  power.  Men  start  to 
pursue  Chickasaw  and  overtake  them.  At  first  sight  they  run  into  camp,  kill 
many  Chickasaw,  and  rescue  prisoners.  Strong-Wind  and  his  brother  exhibit  won- 
derful powers.  After  many  years  brothers  die  and  tribe  has  no  medicine-man. 
Finally  very  young  man  is  given  powers  by  Black-Mountain-Bear.  While  out 
hunting,  darkness  comes  and  he  lays  down  to  sleep  in  shelter.  He  dreams  that  he 
is  walking  on  narrow  trail  eastward  and  sees  man  sitting  with  head  down.  Man 
tells  him  he  wants  to  give  him  medicine,  and  takes  out  many  roots,  of  which  boy  is 
to  choose  six.  He  takes  six  roots,  but  old  man  tells  him  he  must  go  before  six  men, 
who  will  explain  their  use.  He  gives  back  four.  He  sees  old  man  sitting  by  trail, 
who  explains  use  of  his  medicine.  While  going  toward  third  man  he  awakes. 
He  returns  home  and  keeps  silent.  He  wanders  about,  looking  for  roots  seen  in 
dream.  At  last  he  finds  plant.  Soon  after  man  is  about  to  die.  Young  man  calls 
medicine-men  together  and  teaches  them  dance  song  he  has  been  taught  in  dream. 
They  all  go  to  sick  man's  lodge.  They  dance  six  days  and  nights  before  young 
man  finds  out  what  is  matter  with  him.  Finally  young  man  begins  to  talk  in 
strange  tongue  and  dances  slowly.  He  falls  to  ground  and  begins  to  crawl  like 
mad  bear.  He  places  mouth  on  place  where  greatest  pain  is,  draws  pain  out  by 
blowing  breath  on  place,  and  pain  is  gone.  People  know  Black-Mountain-Bear  has 
given  him  power.  He  is  now  called  Black-Mountain-Bear-Medicine.  Medicine- 
men's society  holds  dance  and  wants  young  man  to  show  his  powers.  Sixth  night 


ABSTRACTS.  113 

he  joins  dance.  He  dances  faster  and  faster  and  picks  up  gun.  He  takes  out 
bullet  and  powder  and  puts  them  back  again  and  gives  gun  to  helper.  He  dances 
again,  falls,  kneels,  and  spreads  out  arms.  Helper  shoots  him  through  breast  and 
he  falls  in  faint.  He  rises,  dances  again,  and  shows  bullet  to  people.  He  has 
caught  it  in  his  hands.  Another  young  man  has  wonderful  power  given  him  by 
Mountain-Bear.  He  has  bear's  skin  that  he  causes  to  turn  into  young  bear,  which 
follows  him  about.  Then  he  turns  animal  back  into  skin.  There  are  two  kinds  of 
medicine-men.  One  has  power  to  heal  sick  ;  another  has  power  to  prevent  any  one 
from  being  hurt  or  harmed.  The  latter  are  more  powerful  than  others,  as  they  can 
perform  without  medicine  and  can  be  with  people  afar  off.  They  have  a  song  of 
death  which  frightens  away  death.  This  power  is  generally  given  by  Sun,  Moon, 
Stars,  Earth,  or  Storm,  and  also  by  some  very  wild  and  ferocious  animals. 

ii.    THE  GIRL  WHO  MARRIED  A  TURTLE. 

Girl  lives  with  two  brothers,  who  are  famous  hunters.  Girl  plays  by  water  and 
gets  to  know  Turtle.  He  asks  to  be  her  husband.  She  consents  and  sees  him 
as  often  as  she  can.  Brothers  go  away  for  many  days.  Girl  builds  high  bed  for 
Turtle  ;  carries  him  home  and  puts  him  in  it.  Every  day  she  puts  bowl  of  pota- 
toes in  bed  for  him  to  eat.  Brothers  come  home,  and  she  wants  to  take  Turtle 
back  to  river,  but  he  begs  to  stay.  Boys  notice  high  bed,  but  suspect  nothing  until 
they  see  sister  take  bowl  full  of  potatoes  to  bed  and  take  it  out  empty.  They 
pretend  they  are  going  hunting,  and  soon  return.  Girl  goes  to  dig  potatoes.  Boys 
find  Turtle  in  bed  and  kill  him,  and  then  run  away.  Girl  finds  husband  dead  and 
runs  after  them.  Boys  come  to  river,  where  many  white  ducks  are  playing.  Boys 
offer  to  paint  ducks  different  colors  if  they  will  carry  them  and  bob-tailed  dog 
across  river.  Ducks  carry  them  across  and  soon  girl  comes.  Ducks  say  they 
have  not  seen  boys  and  dog.  White  duck,  whom  boys  have  forgotten  to  paint, 
says  boys  and  dog  have  just  passed.  Duck  carries  girl  across.  Brothers  see  her 
coming.  They  meet  three  white  doves,  who,  at  their  request,  fly  to  the  sky  with 
them  and  dog.  Smoke  makes  doves'  white  feathers  gray.  Girl  asks  doves  where 
brother  and  dog  are.  They  point  to  three  bright  stars  in  southern  part  of  sky. 
Girl  looks  at  stars  and  falls  dead. 

12.   THE  MAN  AND  THE  DOG  WHO  BECAME  STARS. 

Man  has  dog  who  when  they"  are  off  alone  hunting  talks  as  if  he  were  man. 
He  can  always  tell  what  is  about  to  happen.  Once  Dog  comes  running  back  and 
tells  master  they  are  coming  to  dangerous  place.  Dog  scents  deer  and  starts  on 
trail.  Man  shoots  deer,  which  runs  to  lake  aud  jumps  into  water.  Dog  jumps  in 
and  holds  deer  until  man  comes.  They  kill  deer,  and  man  swims  toward  shore 
with  it  on  his  shoulders.  Dog  cries  out.  They  are  surrounded  by  poisonous  and 
dangerous  water  animals.  Man  prays  to  spirits  to  help  them,  and  water  leaps  up 
and  throws  them  on  shore.  Man  in  gratitude  throws  some  of  deer's  flesh  into 
water  as  sacrifice.  Man  and  dog  decide  to  leave  this  dangerous  world  and  go  to 
sky  to  live.  They  are  two  bright  stars  in  south. 

13.    EVENING-STAR  AND  ORPHAN-STAR. 

Poor  orphan  boy  lives  with  large  family  who  mistreat  him.  He  goes  with 
people  to  island  in  large  lake  to  hunt  eggs.  They  go  away  while  he  is  asleep  and 
leave  him  to  starve.  He  lives  for  time  on  scraps  he  finds  around  dead  camp  fires. 


ii4  TRADITIONS  OF  THE  CADDO. 

He  sits  by  water's  edge  and  tries  to  catch  fish  as  they  swim  past.  Large  animal 
with  horns  comes  to  him  through  water.  He  tells  boy  he  will  carry  him  to  main- 
land. He  climbs  upon  animal's  back  and  animal  says  he  is  to  tell  him  if  he  sees 
star.  They  have  not  gone  far  when  boy  says  there  is  big  star  in  west.  Monster 
sees  it,  turns  and  swims  back  to  island.  For  five  days  he  starts  with  boy  and  swims 
back  again  because  boy  sees  star,  but  each  da}'  he  gets  little  farther.  Sixth  time 
he  is  within  few  feet  of  opposite  shore  when  boy  sees  star.  Boy  says  nothing  and 
monster  swims  on  until  they  are  near  shallow  water.  Boy  sees  great  black  cloud 
roll  in  front  of  star.  He  jumps  off  animal's  back  and  swims  to  shore.  Something 
strikes  animal  with  awful  crash  and  he  is  killed.  Handsome  young  man  comes  and 
thanks  boy  for  what  he  has  done.  He  has  long  tried  to  kill  monster,  because  he 
made  waters  of  lake  dangerous.  Man,  who  is  Evening-Star,  takes  boy  to  sky  and 
he  stands  near  him  as  Orphan-Star. 

14.  THE  GIRL  WHO  MARRIED  A  STAR. 

Maiden  sleeps  in  arbor  and  watches  stars.  She  goes  to  sleep,  wishing  one  star 
especially  would  marry  her.  When  she  awakes  she  sees  old  man  sitting  by  fire- 
side. He  tells  her  she  is  Star's  wife.  She  begins  to  cry.  Star's  sister  is  preparing 
food,  and  tells  her  to  stop  crying  and  come  and  eat.  Women  go  out  to  dig  pota- 
toes. Big  potato  is  gate  of  heaven  and  covers  entrance  to  world  beneath.  Girl 
tells  Star's  sister  she  wants  to  go  back  again.  Sister  tells  Star  and  he  agrees  to 
let  her  return  in  six  days.  They  begin  to  make  rope  of  young  elm  bark.  In  six 
days  rope  only  half  long  enough.  It  is  finished  on  eleventh  day.  Next  morning 
girl  is  fastened  to  end  of  rope  and  let  through  hole.  Rope  is  gradually  slipped 
out,  and  after  long  while  she  sees  earth.  She  travels  many  summers  and  winters. 
Her  food  is  almost  gone  and  she  is  far  from  earth.  Rope  ceases  to  slip  and  she 
hangs  there  long  time.  She  sees  Buzzard  circling  around  below  her  and  she  calls 
to  him.  He  takes  her  on  his  back  and  flies  until  he  nearly  gives  out.  Hawk  helps 
him  and  flies  with  girl  until  he  gives  out.  Buzzard  takes  her  again  and  alights 
with  her  near  village.  Girl  is  weak  and  exhausted,  and  woman  helps  her  to  lodge. 
Mother  does  not  know  her  at  first.  After  tenth  day  people  come  to  tipi  to  see 
her.  She  tells  them  her  story,  and  especially  about  kindness  of  Buzzard.  After 
that,  people  always  leave  one  buffalo  for  buzzards  after  big  killing. 

15.  THE  GIRIv  WHO  MARRIED  A  STAR. 

Very  beautiful  girl,  whose  three  sisters  marry,  will  not  receive  attention.  She 
is  tired  of  home  and  prays  spirits  to  help  her  go  wherever  she  wishes.  She  watches 
stars  and  wishes  she  may  become  wife  of  North  Star.  She  sees  very  old  man 
sitting  by  fireside  and  thinks  she  is  dreaming.  Old  man  tells  her  she  is  in  his 
home  as  his  wife,  as  she  wished.  She  does  not  like  looks  of  old  man,  but  has 
to  stay.  She  tries  to  get  away  and  thinks  of  big  stone  North  Star  has  told  her  not 
to  move.  She  goes  and  lifts  stone  and  finds  she  can  look  down  to  earth.  She 
wonders  how  she  can  get  down,  and  thinks  of  rope  of  soap  weeds.  When  North 
tar  is  out  at  night  she  cuts  soapweeds,  and  when  she  has  enough  she  begins  to 
make  rope.  When  rope  finished  she  fastens  it  to  rock,  and  next  time  man  goes 
away  she  climbs  down.  She  comes  to  end  of  rope  before  she  comes  to  tree  tops. 
She  hears  noise,  and  bird  passes  under  her  feet.  When  passing  fourth  time  he 
tells  her  to  step  on  his  back  and  he  will  take  her  home.  She  gets  on  bird's  back 
and  he  flies  with  her  to  her  home.  Before  leaving  her  he  says  he  is  Black -Eagle. 


ABSTRACTS.  115 

1 6.    LIGHTNING  AND  THE  PEOPLE. 

Lightning  lives  upon  earth  with  people,  but  he  becomes  so  powerful  and  kills  so 
many  people  that  he  is  sent  away.  Great  monster  lives  under  ground  and  begins 
to  carry  away  people.  They  can  not  kill  him,  as  he  always  disappears  under 
ground.  Lightning  tells  them  he  will  kill  monster  if  they  will  let  him  come  back. 
He  will  kill  all  monsters  and  make  earth  safe  place  for  people  to  live.  People  let 
Lightning  come  back. 

17.   THE  BROTHERS  WHO  BECAME  LIGHTNING  AND  THUNDER. 

Medicine-Man  has  wife  and  child  twelve  years  old.  He  kills  many  deer.  One 
day  on  returning  from  hunting  he  finds  boy  alone.  He  asks  where  mother  is,  and 
child  says  she  took  water  bucket  and  went  toward  creek.  They  go  and  can  not 
find  her.  There  are  footprints  at  edge  of  water,  and  man  knows  something  has 
taken  his  wife.  They  go  back  to  house  and  mourn  for  six  days.  Seventh  day 
Medicine-Man  goes  hunting.  While  he  is  gone,  boy  plays  with  bow  and  arrows. 
Fourth  time  father  goes,  and  while  boy  is  playing,  unknown  boy  with  long  nose 
and  very  long  hair  comes.  He  says  he  is  boy's  elder  brother,  and  will  always 
come  to  see  him  when  father  goes  hunting,  but  he  is  not  to  tell  father.  They  play 
with  bows  and  arrows,  and  unknown  boy  runs  back  to  woods  when  he  sees 
Medicine-Man  coming.  Medicine-Man  again  goes  to  hunt,  and  after  fourth  time 
boy  wakes  father  at  midnight  and  tells  him  about  his  brother.  Father  says  they 
must  capture  boy  and  tells  son  he  must  play  as  though  he  had  gone  away,  and 
he  will  turn  into  small  insect  and  stay  behind  door.  Boy  comes,  but  sees  man 
behind  door  and  runs  away.  Next  day  father  places  himself  at  edge  of  roof  of 
grass  house,  but  boy  again  sees.  Third  day  father  tells  boy  to  tie  other  boy's  hair, 
and  then  places  himself  in  middle  of  fire,  but  unknown  boy  finds  him  out  and 
runs  back  to  woods.  Next  day  man  goes  behind  another  door,  and  fifth  time  he 
places  himself  in  air,  but  boy  each  time  finds  him.  Sixth  time  boy  does  not  see 
which  way  father  goes,  and  when  he  says  father  has  gone  hunting,  other  boy 
believes  him  and  sits  down  by  him.  Little  boy  gets  hold  of  his  hair  and  says 
there  is  something  in  it.  Boy  tells  him  to  get  it  out,  and  little  boy  ties  hair  as 
father  had  said.  He  calls  and  father  jumps  out  of  grass  house.  They  capture  boy 
and  keep  him  in  grass  house  six  days.  Then  they  wash  boy,  and  Medicine-Man 
cuts  his  nose  off  and  makes  it  look  human.  Before  going  hunting  again,  Medicine- 
Man  tells  boys  not  to  go  to  place  where  large  squirrels  live,  for  they  kill  little 
children.  They  go  to  place  and  big  squirrel  comes  out  of  hole  in  tree,  sticks 
tongue  out  like  snake,  and  takes  young  brother  into  tree.  Other  boy  goes  home 
and  brings  fire.  He  puts  hard  red  stones  into  fire,  and  when  hot  throws  two 
stones  into  hole.  Large  squirrel  comes  out  and  drops  on  ground  dead.  Boy  goes 
and  cuts  open  squirrel's  stomach  and  finds  brother  alive.  Boys  go  to  make  arrows. 
Unknown  boy  makes  two  arrows  for  his  brother  and  paints  one  black  and  other 
blue.  They  make  small  wheel  of  thin  bark.  They  roll  wheel  to  each  other  and 
shoot  it  with  arrows.  They  play  with  wheel  every  day  until  Medicine-Man's  boy 
misses  it  and  wheel  keeps  rolling  and  they  can  not  find  it.  They  start  out  after 
wheel,  and  when  they  have  gone  long  way,  they  stop  for  rest.  They  pray  to  spirits 
to  help  them.  Unknown  boy  puts  pecan  nut  in  ground.  It  sprouts  and  tree  grows 
up  to  sky.  Boy  tells  brother  he  is  going  up  tree,  and  will  be  gone  until  he  has 
dropped  all  bones  in  his  body  and  his  head,  and  that  brother  must  gather  bones  in 
pile,  cover  with  buffalo  calf's  hide,  and  shoot  arrow  up  as  hard  as  he  can.  When 


Il6  TRADITIONS   OF  THE   CADDO. 

he  hears  arrow  coming  he  is  to  tell  him  to  get  out  of  way,  and  bones  will  do  so. 
Boy  then  climbs  tree,  and  after  a  while  his  bones  drop,  and  little  boy  piles  them 
together  as  he  was  told,  and  shoots  black  arrow,  and  brother  jumps  from  calf  hide. 
He  says  his  father  has  given  him  very  dangerous  power,  and  that  brother  must 
climb  tree  to  get  power.  Little  boy  climbs  tree  with  like  result.  Little  boy  has 
power  of  thunder  and  other  boy  power  of  lightning.  They  go  on  until  they  come 
to  large  lake  and  see  place  where  wheel  has  passed  into  water.  They  pray  again, 
and  boy  plants  another  pecan,  and  large  tree  springs  up  and  it  bends  over  lake  and 
makes  a  bridge.  They  cross  and  find  trace  of  wheel.  They  follow  it  and  see  old 
man.  Lightning  boy  tells  Thunder  boy  that  old  man  took  wheel  and  has  it  in  his 
right  side.  They  kill  man  and  find  wheel.  They  go  on  and  find  old  man's  people, 
whom  they  kill.  •  They  come  to  pile  of  bones  and  they  are  bones  of  Medicine-Man's 
wife.  They  cover  them  with  buffalo  calf  hide,  and  bring  her  to  life  again  by  means 
of  black  arrow.  They  all  start  for  home.  Lightning  boy  gets  there  first  and  finds 
father  very  old  man  and  still  weeping  for  his  children .  He  goes  out  to  meet  his 
wife  and  son.  All  live  happily  for  number  of  years,  and  then  father  and  mother 
die.  Boys  are  lonely  and  decide  to  leave  world.  They  go  up  in  sky,  and  when 
clouds  gather  in  storm,  Lightning  and  Thunder  are  seen  in  their  midst. 

18.  SPLINTER  FOOT  BOY. 

Orphan  boy  who  lives  with  grandmother  is  famous  hunter.  While  long  way 
from  home  stick  pierces  his  leg  and  breaks  off  inside.  Leg  swells  and  friends 
have  to  carry  him  home.  Leg  continues  to  swell  and  finally  skin  breaks  and  child 
comes.  Boy  is  angry,  but.  grandmother  cares  for  baby.  While  she  is  away  boy 
takes  child  to  lake  and  leaves  it.  Child  lays  there  until  it  grows  to  be  good- 
sized  boy.  Many  birds  fly  over  lake,  and  when  they  are  half  way  cross,  lake  leaps 
up  and  draws  them  down.  Boy  sees  this,  and  one  day  sees  big  water  monster  in 
water.  He  wishes  he  could  kill  water  monster,  and  while  thinking  about  it  some 
one  hits  him  on  back.  He  turns,  and  there  is  Medicine-Screech-Owl,  boy  about 
his  own  age.  Medicine-Screech-Owl  says  he  will  help  him  to  kill  monster,  and 
tells  him  to  go  to  grandmother's  and  get  six  arrows,  bow,  and  six  grains  from  six 
different  kinds  of  corn.  Grandmother  surprised  to  see  him  and  gives  him  all  he 
asks  for.  He  returns  to  lake  and  Medicine-Screech-Owl  throws  three  grains  of 
each  kind  of  corn  into  air.  They  become  birds  and  fly  across  water.  Water 
monster  leaps  up  to  draw  them  down,  and  boy  shoots  at  monster.  Sixth  arrow 
pierces  it  through  and  it  rolls  over  and  floats  on  water.  Medicine-Screech-Owl 
says  it  is  largest  water  monster  in  world.  He  takes  bow  and  pulls  monster  to 
bank.  He  disappears  and  boy  goes  to  grandmother's  house  and  tells  her  what 
they  have  done.  Boy  goes  again  to  lake.  Water  is  very  low,  and  so  clear  he  sees 
fish  swimming  about.  He  dives  to  catch  fish,  and  sword-fish  goes  right  through 
him.  Boy  shoots  fish  with^bow  and  arrow.  Next  day  all  water  gone,  but  boy 
sees  two  large  shells.  He  takes  them  home  and  cuts  them  so  that  he  can  put  them 
over  holes  made  by  sword-fish.  He  wears  one  in  front  aud  one  behind.  Shells 
have  power  of  hearing  any  sound  in  whole  world.  Whenever  boy  wants  to  hear 
anything  he  puts  shells  to  his  ears.  He  now  becomes  great  medicine-man,  and 
people  plan  to  kill  him.  He  and  grandmother  go  to  top  of  high  mountain  near 
village  and  make  grass  house  there.  He  places  two  fierce  dogs  at  door  to  guard 
house.  Boy  knows  people  who  are  planning  to  kill  him  by  means  of  his  shells. 
They  die  one  after  another,  and  people  suspect  boy  is  bewitching  them.  Many 


ABSTRACTS.  1 17 

warriors  try  to  steal  to  his  home  to  kill  him,  but  he  hears  them  coming  and  sets 
dogs  on  them.  Finally,  Medicine-Screech-Owl  decides  to  interfere.  He  starts  up 
trail  to  boy's  house,  and  blows  so  hard  that  it  takes  magic  power  of  sound  from 
shells.  Near  top  of  mountain  he  blows  breath  again,  and  dogs  roll  over  asleep. 
He  passes  dogs  and  blows  again,  and  old  woman  falls  asleep.  He  does  same  with 
boy.  He  enters  house  and  takes  shells  off  boy,  walks  around,  and  then  goes  away. 
When  almost  down  mountain  he  blows  breath  and  boy  wakes  up.  He  misses 
shells  and  begins  to  look  for  them.  Grandmother  will  not  wake  up  and  he  shakes 
Medicine-Screech-Owl 's  breath  out  of  her.  Dogs  will  not  wake  and  he  knocks 
breath  out  of  them  with  club.  Dogs  wake  up  and  scent  Medicine-Screech-Owl 's 
tracks.  They  start  after  him  and  come  to  big  circle  of  fire.  In  midst  stands 
Medicine-Screech-Owl  wearing  shells.  They  can  not  get  through  fire,  and  return 
without  shells.  Medicine-Screech-Owl  keeps  them  some  time,  and  then  takes  them 
back  to  boy  and  makes  him  promise  not  to  bewitch  people  any  more. 

19.   MEDICINE-SCREECH-OWL,. 

On  Medicine-Screech-Owl's  first  birthday  he  is  given  bow  and  arrows.  He  names 
himself  Medicine-Screech-Owl  and  will  not  have  any  other  name,  although  there 
is  ex-chief  by  that  name.  Ex-chief  hears  that  child's  name  is  same  as  his,  and 
says  he  will  kill  boy  if  he  does  not  do  what  he  tells  him.  He  sends  for  boy  and 
gives  him  watermelon  seed  and  tells  him  to  plant  it  that  evening  and  in  morning 
to  bring  him  big  watermelon  to  eat.  Boy  takes  seeds  and  throws  them  on  ground 
near  his  lodge.  Watermelon  plant  springs  up  and  in  morning  many  large  water- 
melons are  on  it.  Boy  takes  melon  to  ex-chief,  who  is  surprised  and  determines  to 
destroy  boy.  Ex-chief  again  sends  for  boy  and  tells  him  to  take  large  bull  to  his 
house  and  bring  milk  the  next  morning.  Boy  takes  bull  and  in  morning  goes  near  to 
ex-chief's  lodge  to  chop  wood.  Ex-chief  sees  him  and  asks  him  if  he  has  already 
milked  bull.  Boy  says  he  has  not,  but  is  in  hurry  to  cut  some  wood,  as  his  father  is 
going  to  have  child.  When  ex-chief  asks  if  he  has  ever  seen  man  have  child,  boy 
asks  him  if  he  has  seen  bull  give  milk.  Third  time  ex-chief  sends  for  boy,  saying  he 
and  some  friends  are  going  to  have  fine  time.  They  dig  very  deep  hole  and  cover 
it  with  buffalo  robe.  Boy  is  told  to  sit  on  hide,  and  he  goes  down  into  hole,  which 
ex-chief  fills  with  stones  and  dirt  until  he  supposes  boy  is  dead.  Man  tells  ex-chief 
that  boy  is  still  living,  and  ex-chief  sends  for  him  fourth  time.  He  tells  boy  to  go 
and  sit  down  in  middle  of  big  fire.  Boy  does  so  and  sits  until  fire  burns  out.  He 
then  arises  unharmed.  Boy  makes  big  fire  and  tells  ex-chief  it  is  his  turn  to  go 
into  fire  to  show  whether  he  has  any  power.  Ex-chief  goes  in  and  is  burned  to 
death.  Boy  now  goes  from  place  to  place,  although  mother  knows  that  people 
envious  of  his  power  would  try  to  kill  him.  He  hears  three  men  talking  about  him 
and  determines  to  visit  them.  They  welcome  him  and  ask  him  to  go  into  lodge. 
He  goes  in  first  and  then  stands  near  door,  which  is  very  small,  and  kills  the  three 
men  as  they  enter,  one  at  a  time.  He  hears  of  Snow-and-Cold,  who  lives  far  away 
in  the  north  and  whose  visitors,  if  they  stay  over  night,  are  frozen  before  morning. 
He  starts  to  visit  him  and  sails  over  lake  on  eagle  feather  he  wears  on  his  head. 
Geese  on  other  side  of  water  make  noise,  when  any  one  crosses,  to  warn  Snow-and- 
Cold's  people.  They  do  not  see  Medicine-Screech-Owl,  who  goes  to  Snow-and- 
Cold's  lodge  and  finds  him  asleep.  Medicine-Screech-Owl  speaks  and  Snow-and- 
Cold  looks  around,  but  can  see  no  one.  Finally,  boy  shows  himself  and  tells  Snow- 
and-Cold  he  has  heard  so  much  of  that  place  he  has  come  on  visit.  In  evening 


Il8  TRADITIONS   OF  THE   CADDO. 

Snow-and-Cold  tells  boy  to  sleep  on  bed  of  snow.  He  watches  boy  and  sees  light 
near  his  head.  Boy  has  feather  sticking  straight  up  on  pillow.  Snow-and-Cold  arises 
and  punches  snow  in  place  that  seems  like  fireplace  with  cane,  and  fire  springs  out. 
When  he  has  warmed  himself  he  covers  fire  and  goes  back  to  bed.  Soon  boy  does 
same  thing.  In  morning  Snow-and-Cold  calls  to  boy  to  get  up.  He  thinks  boy 
has  been  frozen  to  death,  but  he  jumps  up  and  says  he  has  had  fine  sleep.  After 
talking  to  Snow-and-Cold,  boy  goes  back  home. 

20.    MEDICINE-SCREECH-OWL. 

Beautiful  girl,  who  had  no  male  acquaintance,  becomes  pregnant.  She  can  not 
explain  it.  She  goes  with  other  girls  to  dig  potatoes,  but  can  never  find  any.  She 
hears  voice  cry,  "  Mother,"  and  it  is  that  of  child  in  womb.  -It  tells  her  where  to 
dig  and  she  finds  many  large  potatoes.  Child  is  born,  and  at  his  own  request  is 
called  Medicine-Screech-Owl.  Child  grows  rapidly,  plays  with  other  children  and 
goes  to  watch  them  fish.  He  tries  and  catches  big  fish.  Soon  he  acquires  fame  as  a 
fisherman.  Persons  begin  to  fear  him,  and  employ  powerful  medicine-man  to  kill 
him.  One  day  while  fishing  he  sees  reflection  of  big  cloud  in  water  and  knows 
medicine-man's  intention  to  send  Thunder  to  try  to  kill  him.  He  walks  into  water, 
and  when  Thunder  and  Lightning  come  he  raises  bow  over  his  head  and  Lightning 
rolls  into  water.  This  occurs  again  and  again,  and  medicine-man,  realizing  that 
boy  has  more  power  over  Thunder  than  he  has,  gives  up.  Long  afterward,  while 
resting  in  lodge,  boy  thinks  something  is  going  to  happen  to  him.  He  gets  his 
bow  and  arrows,  lays  on  bed,  and  sings.  Soon  he  hears  great  noise  and  he  knows 
that  medicine-man  is  sending  cannibal  monster  to  destroy  him.  He  hears  its  roar 
and  feels  its  hot  breath  and  it  leaps  on  his  tipi  and  falls  through.  Then  he  arises  and 
kills  it.  Afterward  Medicine-Screech-Owl  goes  from  place  to  place  killing  mon- 
sters and  ferocious  animals  and  healing  sick.  Where  he  is,  death  can  not  come. 
He  heals  sick  by  touch  of  his  hand.  Finally  he  tells  people  he  is  going  to  leave 
them,  and  disappears. 

21.   THE  ORPHAN  BOY  WHO  BECAME  A  WRESTLER. 

Boy  lives  with  old  grandfather,  who  dies  before  he  can  teach  boy  to  hunt.  Boy 
begs  from  lodge  to  lodge,  and  at  night  returns  to  his  lodge  and  cries.  Boys  come 
and  tease  him.  He  is  brave,  and  when  larger  he  makes  bows  and  arrows  and  goes 
to  hunt  small  game  and  has  no  longer  to  beg.  When  in  timber  he  hears  voice  call- 
ing him.  Strange  boy  comes  and  they  play  together.  They  try  to  see  which  is 
stronger,  and  orphan  boy  easily  throws  stranger.  Orphan  boy  can  not  understand 
it.  Strange  boy  says  he  is  strong  man  and  has  given  boy  his  power ;  that  he  is  now 
one  of  strongest  men  in  world.  Stranger  disappears  and  next  morning  boy  starts 
to  hunt.  He  kills  three  deer  and  starts  home  with  them.  Load  is  heavy  and  he 
can  not  go  fast.  At  night  he  hears  voice  and  sees  stranger  again.  He  goes  with 
stranger  to  place  where  his  friends  meet  to  wrestle.  He  wrestles  and  throws  every 
one.  They  fear  him  and  leave  him  with  stranger.  Strong  man  tells  boy  how  to 
use  his  power  and  then  disappears.  Boy  returns  home  and  soon  afterward  boys 
have  wrestling  match.  Young  man  calls  him  to  come  into  ring.  At  first  he  declines. 
On  second  call  he  runs  into  ring  and  soon  throws  man  and  kills  him.  Others  are 
afraid  of  his  strength.  People  hear  of  his  deeds,  and  soon  he  has  respect  and  fear 
of  all. 


ABSTRACTS.  IIQ 

22.  THE  DANGEROUS  WATER  MONSTER. 

Man  goes  to  creek  to  get  water.  He  sees  large  animal  like  snake.  It  is  moving 
slowly,  and  man  runs  two  miles  up  creek  before  he  comes  to  its  head.  He  goes 
home  and  tells  grandfather.  He  calls  people  together  and  tells  them.  They 
wonder  whether  it  is  good  or  evil  omen.  Old  and  blind  man  is  sent  for,  and  after 
a  while  he  says  sign  is  very  bad,  as  it  signifies  waters  will  rise.  Soon  waters  rise 
and  form  large  lake.  Lake  is  very  dangerous.  When  crossing  it  no  word  must- 
be  said.  Four  men  hunt  on  other  side  of  lake.  They  start  back  and  cross  lake 
without  making  any  noise.  When  near  opposite  shore  one  man,  to  try  it,  talks 
very  loud.  Lake  rises  and  drowns  all  men  but  one  who  warned  man  not  to  talk. 
He  calls  others  and  they  search  for  bodies.  Two  are  found,  but  body  of  man  who 
made  noise  can  not  be  found. 

23.  SLAYING  THE  MONSTERS  BY  FIRE. 

In  olden  times  world  was  full  of  wild  animals  who  ate  people.  Coyote  calls 
council  to  see  what  can  be  done  with  them.  It  is  decided  to  set  fire  to  grass  and 
burn  wild  animals  and  everything  on  earth.  White-Headed-Hawk  and  Crow  are 
sent  to  Star  to  say  that  people  are  coming  to  his  house  to  live.  Star  says  there  is 
room  for  people  if  they  can  get  up  there.  Long  rope  of  soapweed  is  made,  and 
White-Headed-Hawk  and  Crow  fly  up  with  it  and  give  end  to  Star,  who  puts  end 
under  big  stone.  Rope  is  so  long  it  reaches  to  earth.  Gray  and  Black  Snakes 
carry  fire  over  world.  When  fire  comes  near,  people  begin  to  climb  rope.  Then 
wild  animals  come  and  begin  to  climb  up.  Bat  is  sent  to  cut  rope  just  above  wild 
animals.  Bat  chews  rope  and  rope  breaks,  letting  all  wild  animals  down.  Many 
are  killed.  Bat  goes  down  and  sees  immense  animal  on  ground,  aiid  all  others 
crawling  into  it  to  escape  fire.  Bat  pulls  hairs  out  of  animal's  nose.  Animal 
sneezes  and  blows  all  other  animals  out  and  they  burn  to  death.  Bat  tells  people 
all  bad  wild  animals  are  killed,  and  they  come  down  rope  again. 

24.  SLAYING  THE  MONSTERS  BY  FIRE. 

In  beginning  some  animals  live  with  human  beings  and  are  friendly  ;  others  are 
strong  and  dangerous.  Grass  is  taller  than  trees  are  now,  and  wild  animals  prowl 
through  it.  Morning-Star  in  council  of  people  says  only  way  to  kill  all  dangerous 
animals  is  to  burn  grass  all  over  world.  Fire  is  man  to  do  work,  and  Morning- 
Star  appoints  two  men  to  assist  him,  Black-Snake,  the  fastest  runner  in  the  world, 
and  Skunk,  the  slowest.  Fire  puts  fire  on  end  of  Black-Snake's  tail  and  between 
toes  of  Skunk's  hind  foot.  They  start  in  east,  one  going  north,  other  south,  to 
meet  in  west.  People  make  rope  of  soapweeds  to  reach  the  sky.  Pigeon  goes 
up  into  sky  to  see  when  fire  approaches.  When  rope  finished,  Crow  takes  rope 
and  fastens  it  firmly  to  sky.  As  fire  approaches,  people  begin  to  climb  up  rope. 
Bad  animals  get  hold  of  rope  and  it  moves  upward.  People  send  Bat,  who  has 
sharp  teeth,  to  cut  rope.  Finally  it  breaks  and  lets  bad  animals  fall  down.  Bat 
follows  and  sees  animal  so  large  he  has  room  for  all  bad  animals.  These  go  in 
and  Bat  follows.  He  pulls  hair  from  animal's  nose.  It  sneezes  and  throws  all 
animals  out  through  nose.  Animals  are  burned.  Bat  flies  up  to  people,  but  is 
scorched,  becoming  yellowish.  People  return  to  world  again,  and  ever  since  it  has 
been  good  place  to  live  upon. 


120  TRADITIONS  OF  THE  CADDO. 

25.   HOW  THE  BUFFALO  CEASED  TO  EAT  HUMAN  BEINGS. 

At  first  Buffalo  ate  human  beings.  They  were  many-colored  and  were  so  numer- 
ous that  men  dared  not  go  on  plain  alone.  Buzzard  is  only  man  who  has  power  to 
go  in  midst  of  them  and  kill  them  without  being  hurt.  Other  people  live  in  vil- 
lages and  hunt  together.  Some  men  hunting  turkey  and  deer,  while  crossing 
prairie,  see  black  cloud  coming  and  know  it  is  great  herd  of  Buffalo  sweeping  down 
upon  them.  They  throw  away  everything  and,  running  very  fast,  take  refuge  in 
dense  thicket.  People  now  take  courage  and  venture  farther  from  home.  Four 
men  go  to  hunt  bear.  They  trail  bear.  It  runs  into  open  plain  and  men  kill  it 
there.  They  hear  noise  like  thunder  and  see  Buffalo  upon  them.  Buffalo  catch  all 
but  one  man,  who  gains  timber  and  climbs  tall  tree.  Buffalo  try  to  butt  it  down, 
but  can  not  do  so.  At  night  man  climbs  down  and  runs  home.  People  hasten  to 
place  where  companions  killed,  but  find  only  few  bones  scattered  about.  Buffalo 
cat  many  people  until  Coyote  conies.  Then  people  go  into  another  country.  Coy- 
ote is  last  to  go  through  gate,  and  shuts  it,  so  no  dangerous  animals  can  enter.  He 
lets  through  only  few  Buffalo  who  have  not  tasted  human  flesh  and  so  are  not 
dangerous. 

26.   THE  GIRL,  WHO  HAD  POWER  TO  CALL  THE  BUFFALO. 

Girl  who  has  power  to  call  Buffalo  lives  with  six  brothers.  They  are  stars,  and 
every  night  leave  girl  to  travel  through  sky.  In  morning  they  put  girl  in  swing 
hung  from  sky  and  swing  her  through  air.  Buffalo  see  her  and  come,  and  boys  kill 
all  they  want.  Coyote  comes  to  live  with  them.  Boys  tell  him  to  stay,  but  make  him 
promise  never  to  try  to  swing  girl.  One  day  while  all  brothers  gone  Coyote  makes 
girl  get  into  swing  and  he  pushes  her.  Buffalo  do  not  come,  and  he  pushes  her 
higher  and  higher,  until  she  disappears.  Coyote  tells  brothers  monster  has  carried 
her  off.  They  drive  him  away  and  tell  him  he  and  his  children  shall  always  be 
hungry.  They  decide  to  go  to  sky  and  live  with  their  sister. 

27.   THE  OLD  WOMAN  WHO  KEPT  ALL  THE  PECANS. 

Old  woman  is  mother  of  pecan  trees.  She  gives  few  pecans  to  people  who  go  to 
lodge,  but  will  not  let  them  take  any  away.  People  are  very  hungry  and  decide  some- 
thing must  be  done.  Old  man  has  four  little  sons  who  are  very  troublesome. 
People  are  field  rats  and  they  chose  four  boys  to  go  to  old  woman's  to  steal  some 
nuts.  One  goes  to  see  if  old  woman  is  asleep.  When  she  goes  to  bed  and  snores 
he  goes  back  home  to  tell  brothers.  Then  he  sees  Coyote,  who  tells  rats  not  to 
trouble  about  stealing  pecans,  as  next  day  he  will  kill  old  woman.  In  morning 
Coyote  goes  to  see  her,  and  as  she  is  getting  him  some  pecans,  Coyote  strikes  her 
on  head  with  stone  knife  and  kills  her.  Old  woman  dies,  and  ever  since  pecan 
trees  grow  everywhere. 

28.  COWARD,  THE  SON  OF  THE  MOON. 

When  people  first  come  out  of  earth,  little  boy  is  taken  out  by  grandparents  who 
are  poor.  Boy  is  fed  by  other  boys  and  grows  rapidly.  He  becomes  successful 
hunter.  His  grandparents  die  and  boy  wanders  away  into  timber  to  mourn.  Man 
comes  and  embraces  him.  He  is  Moon,  and  says  he  will  be  boy's  father,  watch 
over  him,  and  give  him  power.  Boy  goes  home  and  weeps  no  more.  Girl  comes 
and  asks  to  become  his  wife,  and  they  live  together.  Wife  sees  husband  has  great 


ABSTRACTS.  121 

power.  Woman  asks  him  to  watch  her  child,  who  is  asleep,  while  she  goes  to  get 
water.  When  she  has  gone  he  wakes  child  up  and  cuts  its  leg  off.  When  she 
returns  child  is  dead,  and  young  man  is  playing  with  leg.  She  calls  people,  and 
they  come  and  kill  young  man.  He  comes  out  of  grave  and  looks  just  the  same  as 
before  he  was  killed.  All  men  go  on  war-path  except  Coward,  as  people  call  him. 
When  asked  by  chief  why  he  does  not  go,  he  takes  war  club  and  goes  out  to  fight. 
Arrows  fly  off  from  him  and  enemies  see  he  can  not  be  killed.  Men  run,  and  he 
kills  many  with  war  clubs.  Next  day  he  is  sick,  and  vomits  all  arrow-heads  that 
have  pierced  his  body.  He  bathes  and  is  well.  Many  years  after  he  tells  people 
Moon  is  his  father.  Then  he  arises  and  goes  up  to  Moon. 

29.   THE  FIRST  WAR  PARTY. 

When  people  came  into  world  they  were  divided  into  groups,  and  each  group 
was  given  different  name.  Tribes  began  to  fight  each  other,  and  Caddo  fought 
Kiowa  and  Comanche.  Caddo  gather  in  council  and  chief  sends  errand-man  to 
call  all  young  men.  Chief  asks  all  who  want  to  fight  other  tribes  to  sit  in  circle. 
Chief  lays  large  buffalo  hide  in  center  of  circle.  He  gives  each  man  stick,  and 
they  beat  hide  with  sticks  and  sing  war  song.  They  sing  until  Morning-Star  drives 
other  stars  away.  Chief  and  assistants  go  ahead  to  choose  good  place  near  water 
for  camp.  At  dawn  men  march  out,  continuing  war  song,  to  place  where  they  wait 
until  noon,  so  that  others  who  decide  late  may  join  party.  While  they  are  eating, 
chief  makes  speech,  giving  them  rules  for  their  conduct.  They  march  by  day  and 
camp  at  night,  chief  in  advance.  When  near  enemy's  country  chief  appoints  four 
men  as  spies  to  go  in  all  directions.  They  go  on  until  they  find  enemy,  and  fight 
them,  but  scalp  only  one  to  show  they  have  been  victorious.  When  battle  is  over 
warriors  leave  and  do  as  they  please.  Word  is  sent  home,  and  people  deck  them- 
selves with  paint  and  feathers  and  go  to  meet  war  party.  Scalp  is  put  on  pole  and 
young  men  race  for  it.  When  they  arrive  at  home  all  join  in  war  dance. 

30.    THE  POWER  OF  THE  CYCLONE. 

As  boy  sits  on  bank  of  river  resting  after  his  morning  bath,  voice  speaks  to  him. 
He  sees  nothing,  but,  after  gazing  into  water  for  long  time,  he  sees  man  slowly 
rising  to  surface.  Man  comes  and  tells  him  to  dive  into  water  four  times  and  to 
always  face  west.  He  does  so,  and  man  says  he  is  power  of  Cyclone,  but  is  grow- 
ing old  and  his  strength  is  going,  and  he  has  come  to  give  boy  his  power.  He  tells 
boy  to  swing  his  arms  about.  He  swings  his  arms  and  black  cloud  rolls  up,  and 
as  he  throws  his  arms  farther,  wind  breaks  from  cloud  and  passes  through  forest, 
tearing  up  trees  by  roots  and  tossing  waters  in  fury.  At  last  man  tells  him  to 
stand  still,  and  boy  drops  his  arms  breathless  and  panting  with  exertion.  Man 
tells  him  he  has  received  power  which  he  is  to  exercise  only  in  spring,  and  calls 
him  "Path-of-the-Cyclone."  Then  man  disappears.  Years  after  people  see  boy 
carried  through  air  to  sky  on  cyclone. 

31.  HOW  THE  CANNIBAL  WAS  DESTROYED. 

Three  men  out  hunting  come  to  large  tree  on  which  something  has  been  climb- 
ing. Near  the  base  is  large  hole.  Thinking  bear  is  in  hole,  they  thrust  into  it 
bundle  of  burning  leaves  and  grass.  Finally  strange  animal  peeps  from  hole,  and 
it  is  cannibal.  Men  run,  and  cannibal  scents  their  tracks  and  follows  them. 

90 


122  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

He  overtakes  one  man,  kills  him,  and  carries  him  back  to  tree.  He  returns  and 
overtakes  second  man,  whom  he  kills  and  carries  back.  Third  man  is  almost  over- 
taken, but  Mountain-Lion  lies  in  wait  for  cannibal,  seizes  him  by  throat,  and  kills 
him.  When  man  gets  home  he  tells  people  what  has  happened.  Cannibal's  body 
is  eaten  by  white  and  black  wolves,  and  when  people  go  they  find  nothing  but  his 
bones.  They  go  to  tree  where  cannibal  lived,  cut  it  down,  and  find  two  bodies, 
which  they  bury. 

32.  THE  YOUNG  MEN  AND  THE  CANNIBALS. 

Ten  boys  live  with  grandmother.  Oldest  goes  hunting  and  does  not  return. 
Next  day  one  of  his  brothers  goes  to  look  for  him.  He  does  not  return,  and  next 
brother  goes  in  search  of  him,  and  so  on  until  ninth  boy  goes,  leaving  little  brother 
at  home  with  grandmother.  At  last  youngest  boy  goes  in  search  of  brothers, 
putting  eagle  feather  in  his  hair.  After  looking  far,  boy  sees  tipi  and  hears  voice 
referring  to  him  as  meat.  Old  man  comes  out  and  asks  if  he  is  looking  for  his 
brothers.  He  says  he  will  put  him  on  path  to  find  them,  but  boy  must  first  do 
some  work  for  him,  He  tells  boy  to  put  log  on  fire.  He  is  to  have  four  trials,  and 
if  he  fails  he  is  to  lie  on  log  and  let  man  lift  it.  Boy  can  not  move  log,  and  lays 
down  on  it.  Old  man  is  about  to  spear  him  with  iron  nose  of  mask  he  wears,  when 
unseen  power  pulls  boy  off  log,  and  iron  nose  catches  in  log  and  holds  man  fast. 
Voice  tells  boy  to  take  pounder  from  woman  who  is  pounding  corn  and  beat  old 
man  to  death.  Boy  obeys,  and,  when  old  man  dead,  voice  tells  him  to  gather  up 
his  brothers'  bones  and  put  them  in  nine  piles.  Strange  man  appears  and  helps 
him,  and  then  tells  him  to  put  his  robe  over  bones,  shoot  arrow  up  in  sky,  and  tell 
brothers  to  look  out  lest  arrow  hits  them.  Boy  does  so,  and  brothers  jump  out 
from  under  robe.  Man  tells  them  to  burn  tipi  with  man  and  his  wife  and  scatter 
ashes.  Man  then  says  he  is  Sun  and  has  helped  them  to  destroy  cannibals.  Then 
he  disappears.  They  return  home  to  grandmother  and  tell  story.  People  then 
know  that  Sun  is  their  friend  and  willing  to  help  them. 

33.  COYOTE  AND  THE  SIX  BROTHERS. 

Old  woman  has  seven  sons.  They  are  good  hunters.  One  day  oldest  son  goes  to 
hunt  and  does  not  return.  Several  days  after,  his  dogs  come  back,  but  he  does  not. 
This  happens  to  six  sons  in  turn.  Mother  will  not  let  youngest  son  go.  Long 
time  afterward  he  sees  Raccoon  in  tree.  He  chases  it,  and  it  leads  him  far  into 
timber.  It  runs  down  hollow  tree,  and  he  climbs  tree  to  get  it  out.  Old  woman  tells 
him  to  throw  Raccoon  down,  and  she  and  his  dogs  will  kill  it.  He  throws  Raccoon 
down  and  she  kills  it  and  one  of  dogs.  Then  she  says  there  is  another  Raccoon  in 
tree.  He  pulls  it  out  and  throws  it  down.  She  kills  it  and  another  of  his  dogs. 
This  happens  until  he  has  pulled  six  Raccoons  out  of  tree.  As  boy  is  about  to  pull 
seventh  Raccoon  out,  it  tells  him  to  throw  it  as  far  as  he  can.  While  old  woman  is 
chasing  him,  boy  is  to  run  home  as  fast  as  possible,  as  old  woman  is  witch  and  has 
killed  all  his  brothers.  He  does  so.  When  old  woman  finds  boy  is  gone  she  starts 
after  him,  but  can  not  catch  him.  That  night  boy  dreams  that  he  meets  Coyote, 
who  tells  him  his  brothers  are  not  dead,  but  are  working  for  bad  people  and  will 
soon  die  if  they  do  not  get  away.  Coyote  promises  to  help  him  to  rescue  them. 
Next  day  he  meets  uian,  who  tells  him  something.  Man  goes  on  and  meets  Flying- 
Squirrel,  who  is  one  of  bad  people's  slaves.  Coyote  asks  him  about  six  brothers 


ABSTRACTS.  123 

and  hears  they  are  slaves.  Coyote  says  he  would  like  to  help  them,  and  Flying- 
Squirrel  suggests  that  wicked  chief  be  killed.  Flying-Squirrel  carries  Coyote 
across  river  hanging  to  his  tail.  Coyote  lets  go  of  tail  and  falls  into  river.  He 
hides  until  he  thinks  of  plan.  Then  he  turns  into  corn  mill  and  floats  out  on 
water.  Woman  persuades  chief  to  get  it,  although  he  is  suspicious.  Woman  uses 
mill,  but  one  day  all  corn  is  sour.  She  tells  chief,  who  says  mill  is  Coyote.  Chief 
has  it  placed  on  big  log  to  spear  it  with  his  long,  spiked  nose.  His  nose  sticks  in 
log  and  corn  mill  turns  into  Coyote.  Coyote  knows  chief  and  tells  slaves  to  kill 
him.  Slaves  are  free  and  brothers  return  home.  Afterward  when  killing  game 
they  leave  some  for  Coyote. 

34.    THE  DEATH  OF  THE  CANNIBALS. 

People  of  village  Tall-Timber-on-Top-of-Hill  decide  to  move  to  another.  Young 
woman  whose  husband  is  dead  gives  birth  to  baby  and  has  to  stay  until  she  can 
carry  child.  She  remains  in  deserted  village  many  days.  One  night  she  hears 
some  one  outside  and  strange  voice  begs  admission.  She  lets  man  in  and  he  says 
he  is  Spotted- Wolf.  He  says  he  has  come  to  beg  her  not  to  start  on  journey  too 
soon,  for  there  are  many  dangerous  animals  in  way.  She  says  she  is  lonely  and 
wants  to  go  to  her  people.  Spotted- Wolf  then  gives  her  some  tobacco  and  tells  her 
if  she  meets  danger  and  needs  help  to  throw  some  of  it  to  four  directions  and  call 
to  him  ;  then  he  will  come  and  help  her.  After  few  days  woman  starts  with  baby 
on  her  back.  After  traveling  three  days  she  sees  in  her  way  cannibal.  She  is 
much  frightened  and  takes  tobacco  and  throws  it  to  four  directions,  praying  that 
Spotted- Wolf  would  come.  Soon  big  spotted  wolves  come  from  four  directions 
and  kill  cannibal.  Wolf  from  south  conducts  woman  and  child  safely  to  her  people. 
Another  kind  of  cannibal  lives  as  human  being  and  eats  dead  people.  They  pre- 
tend to  be  sick  when  they  hear  of  one  who  is  about  to  die,  and  when  he  dies  they 
pretend  to  die  and  are  buried.  In  night  they  jump  out  of  graves  and  steal  dead 
person  before  spirits  can  take  him  away.  An  old  medicine-man  watches  one  of  these 
beings  for  long  time.  Then  he  pretends  to  be  very  sick  and  spreads  news  that  he 
is  about  to  die.  Soon  he  hears  that  watched  person  is  sick,  and  then  he  pretends 
to  die,  first  telling  his  sons  to  put  bow  and  arrows  in  his  grave  and  not  to  put  much 
earth  over  him  when  buried.  Person  pretends  to  die  also  and  is  buried.  At  night 
he  jumps  out  of  grave  and  goes  to  get  medicine-man.  Medicine-man  hears  him 
and  jumps  out  of  his  grave  and  shoots  an  arrow  through  cannibal  and  kills  him. 
Ever  since  bows  and  arrows  are  put  in  graves  with  dead,  that  they  may  shoot  can- 
nibal. 

35.  THE  MAN  WHO  MADE  ARROWS  FOR  GHOST. 

Two  men  hunt  all  day  without  finding  anything.  They  stay  in  timber  to  hunt 
next  day  and  go  to  sleep.  They  are  awakened  by  voice  whooping.  One  man  is 
frightened  and  runs  away.  Other  man  stays,  and  soon  dead  person  comes  and 
asks  if  he  can  help  him  get  into  spirit  land.  He  wants  bow-string  and  two  arrows. 
Man  makes  arrows  and  puts  new  string  on  bow.  Dead  person  shoots  arrows  and 
goes  up  with  them.  He  whoops  to  let  man  know  that  arrows  have  carried  him 
up  all  right.  Ever  since  bows  and  arrows  are  always  made  and  buried  with  dead, 
that  they  may  go  to  spirit  land  at  once. 


124  TRADITIONS  OF  THE  CADDO. 

36.  THE  LAZY  BOYS  WHO  BECAME  THE  PLEIADES. 

In  beginning  of  world  lives  old  woman  with  seven  sons.  They  are  full  of  fun 
and  play  all  day  long.  They  will  not  work,  and  eat  only  in  morning  and  evening. 
Mother  scolds  them,  and  one  evening  will  not  give  them  anything  to  eat.  Boys 
are  angry,  and  next  morning  they  go  to  playground  and  go  around  and  around 
house,  praying  to  Spirits  to  help  them.  With  every  round  they  rise  higher  and 
higher  in  air,  and  at  last  go  up  to  sky,  where  they  are  "The  Pleiades."  These 
stars  are  seen  during  winter,  but  at  beginning  of  spring,  at  work  time,  they  are  gone. 

37.  THE  LOST  TIMBER  SPIRITS. 

When  world  is  new,  Coyote  decides  that  people  dying  return  to  earth  after  ten 
days.  Finally  he  makes  rule  that  if  anybody  dies  and  is  buried  within  six  days  he 
shall  stay  under  ground.  If  not  buried  by  seventh  day  he  may  escape.  If  caught 
he  is  to  be  brought  home.  Fire  is  to  be  kindled  all  around  him,  and  after  being 
kept  at  home  six  days  and  nights  he  is  to  be  washed  by  some  old  woman  and  he 
becomes  real  person  again.  At  death  body  is  laid  in  hole,  head  toward  east  and 
feet  toward  west.  Fire  is  made  at  feet  and  kept  up  six  days  and  nights.  If  fire 
goes  out  grave  is  found  open  and  tracks  seen  toward  east.  When  they  follow 
tracks  and  overtake  dead  person,  fire  is  built  all  around  him  until  he  tries  to  escape 
sparks.  He  is  then  coming  to  life  again  and  is  taken  home,  and  in  evening  of  sixth 
day  bathed  and  will  then  live  again.  When  dead  person  not  caught  he  becomes 
like  large  monkey  and  lives  in  the  thickets.  These  monkeys  talk  to  people  and 
they  are  thought  to  be  crazy.  When  people  meet  them  they  always  ask  for  wrestling 
match.  They  are  still  living,  but  do  not  talk  as  they  did  when  world  was  new. 

38.   THE  MAN  WHO  TURNED  INTO  A  SNAKE. 

Two  boys  go  hunting.  One  of  them  kills  snake  and  eats  snake  meat  instead  of 
buffalo.  He  turns  into  snake  and  tells  friend  to  find  hole  for  him  to  live  in. 
Friend  carries  snake  to  hole.  Snake  tells  him  that  when  people  go  to  hunt  they 
are  to  offer  presents  to  him  and  he  will  help  them.  Snake  lives  there  many  years 
until  lightning  kills  him. 

39.  THE  WOMAN  WHO  TURNED  INTO  A  SNAKE. 

Man  has  wife  and  dog.  At  that  time  animals  talk,  and  dog  talks  to  man  and 
woman.  Every  day  man  goes  to  hunt,  and  as  soon  as  he  has  gone  woman  goes  out 
and  does  not  return  until  evening.  Dog  tells  husband,  and  he  says  dog  is  to  follow 
woman  next  time.  Dog  does  so  and  sees  woman  go  to  large  tree  and  whistle  three 
times.  Third  time  big  snake  comes  from  large  hole  in  tree,  goes  to  woman,  and 
coils  round  her  body.  Finally  it  goes  back  to  hole.  Dog  tells  man,  and  next  day 
he  makes  many  arrows  and  tells  wife  that  he  and  dog  are  going  fishing.  Instead 
of  fishing  they  go  to  place  where  snake  is.  Man  whistles  three  times  and  snake 
creeps  out.  When  it  reaches  ground  man  shoots  and  kills  it.  He  then  cuts  it  into 
very  small  pieces  to  look  like  pieces  of  fish.  They  go  to  river  and  catch  few  small 
fish.  Man  tells  wife  he  is  going  to  cook  fish  and  she  is  to  go  in  grass  house.  Man 
cooks  fish  and  snake  flesh.  He  then  takes  snake  flesh  to  wife  for  her  dinner.  He 
and  dog  eat  fish.  Man  sends  dog  to  see  what  wife  is  doing  and  he  sees  she  is 
eating  snake.  Second  time  dog  sees  she  is  scratching  herself  all  over.  When  she 
scratches,  skin  turns  color  of  snake  skin,  until  finally  she  turns  into  snake.  She 


ABSTRACTS.  125 

creeps  away  from  grass  lodge  and  goes  to  find  snake.  Some  time  after,  when  out 
hunting,  man  hears  voice  inside  large  tree  and  large  snake  comes  out  of  tree.  He 
knows  it  is  his  wife,  but  he  passes  on. 

40.   THE  GIRLS  WHO  WANTED  TO  MARRY  THE  CHIEF. 

Two  twin  daughters  hear  of  chief  in  another  village  and  obtain  parents'  consent 
to  go  and  offer  themselves  in  marriage  to  him.     They  start  in  search  of  chief's 
village.     They  meet  man  with  turkey  and  tell  him.     He  says  he  is  chief,  and  is 
willing,  but  asks  them  to  wait  until  he  runs  home  and  tells  his  grandmother. 
Man  is  Owl.     He  runs  home  and  tells  grandmother  to  clean  up  lodge,  as  he  is 
bringing  home  two  girls  on  whom  he  is  playing  joke.     In  morning  she  is  to  ask 
which  turkey  she  is  to  cook,  that  girls  may  think  there  are  many  turkeys  and  good 
things  to  eat.     Owl  goes  for  girls,  who  are  pleased  with  things,  and  marry  Owl. 
Every  day  he  comes  in  with  turkey ;  as  he  goes  to  council  and  chief  gives  him 
turkey  for  allowing  him  to  sit  on  his  back.     Finally  twins  grow  weary  of  turkey 
and  begin  to  suspect.     They  follow  Owl  and  peep  through  opening  in  grass  lodge 
and  see  Owl  sitting  in  middle  with  chief  on  his  head.     Girls  scream.     Owl  recog- 
nizes their  voices,  jumps  up,  throwing  chief  off  his  head,  and  runs  home.     He 
scolds  grandmother  for  letting  girls  follow  him,  and  they  slip  off  and  return  home. 
Owl,  angry  at  being  fooled  by  his  own  joke,  tells  grandmother  they  must  kill 
people.     They  gather  all  water  by  digging  big  hole  and  draining  waters  out  from 
all  rivers,  springs,  and  lakes.     Water  is  all  gone,  and  people  are  dying  of  thirst, 
while  Owl  is  splashing  about  in  big  hole.     Every  one  goes  in  search  of  water. 
Crow,  who  was  snow  white  then,  comes  to  field  where  grass  is  all  withered  and  big 
grasshoppers  are  jumping  about.     He  runs  after  them,  and  makes  so  much  noise 
that  people  think  he  has  found  water.     They  run  in  great  haste,  and  are  so  angry 
with  Crow  for  fooling  them  that  Coyote  rolls  him  in  black  earth  until  he  is  black. 
Coyote  makes  rule  that  if  any  one  makes  loud  noise  and  arouses  people's  expec- 
tations he  must  either  lead  them  to  water  or  take  hard  whipping.     Turtle  falls  in 
great  crack  in  dried  mud  and  halloos  for  help.     People  run,  thinking  he  has  found 
water,  and  Coyote  takes  him  out  of  crack  and  gives  him  so  hard  a  whipping  that 
his  shell  cracks.     Turtles  still  bear  marks  of  cracks  on  their  shells.     Some  one 
hears  big  splashing  noise.     He  goes  on  and  comes  to  hole  where  Owl  sits  playing 
in  water.     He  tells  people,  and  they  consider  how  they  can  get  water  from  Owl. 
Flea  goes  to  Owl's  lodge  and  enters  as  his  grandmother  is  about  to  take  bath. 
She  has  big  jar  full  of  water  in  front  of  her.     Flea  crawls  up  her  leg  and  bites  her. 
She  gives  big  kick  and  upsets  jar.     When  Owl  sees  water  running  in  all  directions 
he  opens  eyes  wide  in  astonishment,  and  they  have  been  that  way  ever  since.     All 
people  are  grateful  to  Flea.     Coyote  puts  him  on  his  back  that  he  may  have  warm 
home. 

41.   THE  POOR  HUNTER  AND  THE  AI^IGATOR  POWER. 

Hunters  go  on  two  months'  hunt  and  take  their  wives  with  them.  Among  them 
are  a  poor  man  and  wife  who  are  starving.  Poor  man  hunts  day  after  day,  but 
returns  without  anything.  One  day,  after  hunting  all  morning,  he  hears  some 
one  calling  him.  He  goes  and  sees  person  who  wants  to  find  water.  When  hunter 
tells  him  there  is  water  short  distance  off,  unknown  person  asks  man  to  carry  him. 
He  does  so,  and  when  they  reach  water  person  tells  hunter  to  take  off  clothes  and 
to  get  on  his  back.  Man  shuts  eyes,  and  when  he  opens  them  he  sees  heads  of  all 


126  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

kinds  of  animals.  Unknown  person  tells  man  to  point  out  heads  of  animals  he 
wants  to  kill.  He  does  so,  and  person,  who  is  called  Alligator,  gives  him  powers, 
and  when  he  is  again  on  dry  land  tells  him  to  go  hunting.  He  kills  four  big  deer, 
dresses  them,  and  goes  to  camp.  He  takes  his  wife,  with  two  horses,  and  finds 
deer,  which  he  puts  on  horses.  Everybody  wonders  when  they  see  horses  loaded 
with  meat.  After  that,  man  never  fails  to  bring  back  much  meat  when  out  hunt- 
ing. When  people  start  back  home,  they  find  that  man  they  had  made  fun  of  is 
most  successful  of  all  hunters.  They  name  him  Deer-Head,  because  of  his  bravery 
in  killing  big  deer.  After  many  years  he  disappears,  and  his  younger  brother 
says  some  one  came  during  night  and  took  him  away  home.  Long  time  afterward 
hunter  shoots  large  deer,  which  walks  very  slowly,  and  after  going  over  hill  calls 
to  him  to  come  on.  Man  starts  back  home  and  people  think  Deer-Head  has  changed 
into  deer. 

42.   THE   BOY  WHO  MARRIED  A  MOUNTAIN-LION. 

Little  boy  tells  parents  he  is  Red-Mountain-Lion,  and  they  so  call  him.  He  be- 
comes a  successful  hunter.  Once  he  acts  queerly  when  he  returns  from  hunt,  and 
next  time  brother  follows  him.  He  tracks  him  to  mountain  cave,  where  he  sees 
brother  with  female  mountain-lion.  When  Red-Mountain-Lion  comes  home  he 
acts  stranger  than  ever.  Hearing  some  one  talking  about  going  to  kill  mountain- 
lion  in  cave,  he  starts  off  alone  to  hunt.  When  men  come  to  cave  they  see  foot- 
prints of  man  and  mountain-lion  leading  away  from  it.  Man  does  not  return  to 
his  people,  but  years  afterward  he  is  captured  by  hunting  party  and  is  carried 
home,  where  he  stays.  He  and  brother  form  war  party,  and  he  goes  off  to  get 
power.  He  finds  rattlesnake  skin  and  mountain-lion's  tail.  He  takes  them  and 
prays  to  rattlesnake  and  mounlain-lion  for  their  powers.  War  expedition  is  given 
up  and  man  neglects  to  throw  away  skin  and  tail.  Long  time  afterward  Red- 
Mountain-Lion  one  morning  hears  turkey  cackling.  He  goes  to  catch  it  and  hears 
rattlesnakes  by  his  side.  As  he  does  not  return,  brother  goes  for  him.  He  is 
found  unconscious  and  scalped.  Tracks  of  mountain-lion  are  found.  Medicine- 
man comes  and  tells  brother  to  return  animal's  gifts  to  the  woods,  where  Red- 
Mountain-Lion  had  found  them.  Man  obeys,  and  then  takes  brother  to  creek  and 
bathes  him.  Red-Mountain-Lion  recovers,  but  is  always  foolish.  He  becomes 
more  foolish  in  old  age  and  does  many  evil  things,  and  so  is  killed. 

43.    BUFFALO   WOMAN. 

Cannibal  has  handsome  son  who  will  not  marry.  He  is  called  Braveness  for  his 
bravery  in  hunting.  He  goes  hunting  and  sees  young  and  beautiful  woman  sitting 
under  elm  tree.  She  calls  him  and  says  she  has  come  to  meet  him.  She  asks  him 
to  take  her  to  his  home  to  be  his  wife.  They  start  for  his  home  at  once,  and  old 
people  let  girl  become  son's  wife.  They  live  happily  together  for  long  time. 
Then  girl  asks  him  to  do  whatever  she  asks.  When  he  promises,  she  asks  him  to 
go  with  her  to  her  home.  They  start,  and  when  they  come  to  high  hills,  she  says 
her  home  is  on  other  side,  and  that  people  will  bother  him,  but  he  is  not  to  get 
angry.  If  he  does,  young  men  will  kill  him,  as  they  are  jealous  of  him.  She  then 
asks  him  to  lay  on  ground  and  roll  over  twice.  He  does  so,  and  is  changed  into 
Buffalo.  Then  woman  does  same,  and  becomes  Buffalo.  When  they  reach  top  of 
hill,  they  see  thousands  of  Buffalo.  They  are  woman's  people.  Braveness  follows 
woman  until  they  come  to  old  Buffalo  cow,  her  mother.  They  stay  long  time,  and 


ABSTRACTS.  127 

as  young  Buffalo  bother  Braveness,  they  go  back  to  his  home.  On  way  they 
become  human  again.  Woman  asks  man  to  say  nothing  about  transformation. 
They  stay  at  home  a  year,  and  then  decide  to  go  and  see  woman's  mother.  After 
living  with  Buffalo  long  time,  wife  tells  husband  old  people  are  thinking  of  killing 
him.  He  is  to  run  in  foot  race.  He  is  worried  and  goes  out  for  walk.  Unknown 
person  tells  him  if  he  is  beaten  at  running,  he  is  to  be  killed,  and  so  he  is  going  to 
help  him  to  win.  He  gives  Braveness  medicine  root,  which  he  is  to  throw  behind 
him  when  one  catches  up  with  him,  and  he  will  leave  him  long  way  behind.  Then 
he  gives  Braveness  mud  to  throw  behind  him  when  second  man  overtakes  him, 
after  which  he  will  soon  be  at  stopping  place.  There  person  will  meet  him;  Next 
day  is  day  of  race.  Old  Buffalo  takes  him  to  place  where  runners  start.  Young 
Buffalo  make  fun  of  him,  but  he  places  himself  in  their  midst.  Braveness  leaves 
Buffalo  long  way  behind  at  start,  but  they  gain  on  him.  He  throws  root,  and  he 
is  far  ahead  again.  He  gives  out  and  one  Buffalo  gains  on  him.  He  throws  mud, 
and  he  is  far  ahead  again.  When  nearing  goal  Buffalo  is  about  to  catch  up  with 
him,  when  heavy  wind  comes  up  and  keeps  Buffalo  back  until  he  reaches  goal  and 
wins  race.  He  knows  it  is  Wind  who  has  saved  his  life.  After  race,  no  one 
molests  him  again.  Afterward  he  and  wife  go  to  live  with  his  people.  When 
child  year  old,  they  go  again  to  see  wife's  people.  They  remain  three  years,  and 
then  return  to  Braveness'  home.  Mother  will  not  let  child  go  out  to  play  with 
other  boys.  He  slips  away  and  joins  boys.  They  play  buffalo,  and  when  little 
boy  rolls  over  twice,  he  gets  up  real  buffalo  calf.  Boys  run,  and  mother  seeing 
them,  goes  out  and  finds  son  changed  into  buffalo  calf.  She  runs  down  hill  with 
him,  becomes  buffalo,  and  they  run  away  before  husband  comes  from  hunting. 
He  can  not  find  his  wife  and  son,  and  some  one  tells  him  what  has  happened.  He 
does  not  believe  story  until  he  sees  their  tracks.  He  never  hears  of  them  again. 

44.   THE  GIRL  WHO  MARRIED  WILD-CAT. 

Beautiful  girl  refuses  attention  of  young  men.  Handsome  youth  comes  and 
talks  with  father  and  brother,  but  pays  no  attention  to  her.  Girl  dreams  of  him 
when  asleep ;  sees  him  coming  to  her.  She  awakes  and  hears  faint  noise.  She 
closes  eyes  and  prays  that  dream  may  come  true.  She  opens  eyes  and  young  man 
is  bending  over  her.  He  begs  her  to  go  with  him  and  she  does  so.  When  long 
way  from  home  man  tells  her  he  is  Wild-Cat,  but  she  refuses  to  go  back.  They 
climb  high  mountain,  and  Wild-Cat  leaves  girl  to  fetch  his  grandfather  Wild-Cat. 
Girl's  brothers  overtake  them,  and  want  to  fight  Wild-Cats,  who  are  dressed  like 
men.  Sister  cries  and  promises  brothers  she  will  soon  return  home.  They  go  back 
and  father  is  very  angry.  He  goes  in  search  of  daughter  and  wanders  about  until 
he  dies. 

45.  THE  WOMAN  WHO  TR^ED  TO  KILL  HER  SON. 

Abut  has  wife  and  boy  seven  years  old.  He  is  always  hunting.  Wife  dislikes 
boy  and  abuses  him.  She  digs  deep  hole  and  throws  him  in,  putting  brush  over 
it.  Abut  returns  and  asks  for  son.  She  says  she  has  been  looking  for  him  all 
day.  They  look  for  him  several  days  and  can  not  find  him.  Boy  grows  hungry 
and  cries.  Coyote  comes,  helps  him  out  of  hole,  and  takes  him  to  Coyote's  home. 
He  remains  several  years  ;  then  he  tells  Coyote  he  wants  to  go  and  see  his  father. 
He  says  he  will  tell  father  what  happened,  and  that  they  will  go  on  buffalo  hunt, 
and  that  Coyote  and  family  are  to  kill  mother  when  she  brings  them  meat.  Coyote 
lets  boy  go  home.  He  tells  father  what  he  is  going  to  do  with  mother.  Next  day 


128  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

they  go  hunting  and  kill  buffalo.  While  woman  is  cooking  supper  they  hear 
Coyotes  howling.  After  supper  boy  tells  mother  to  get  meat  and  come  with  him 
to  feed  Coyotes.  She  carries  meat  on  back.  When  near  Coyotes,  boy  pushes  her 
down  and  Coyotes  jump  upon  her.  Father  and  son  live  together  many  years. 

46.  THE  JEALOUS  HUSBAND. 

People  go  on  war-path  and  spies  are  sent  out  to  locate  enemy.  Leader  chooses 
for  spies  two  who  are  very  close  friends  and  always  go  together.  One  is  married 
and  other  single.  One  day  they  come  to  high  hill.  They  climb  it  and  find  on  top 
big  hole,  like  well,  with  water.  Married  man  tells  friend  to  go  down  in  hole  to  get 
some  water.  He  descends  on  long  buffalo-hide  rope.  Instead  of  pulling  him  up 
again  his  friend  throws  rope  into  hole  and  goes  away.  He  starts  for  camp  and 
tells  head  man  that  his  friend  was  killed  by  enemy  who  pursued  them.  Camp 
therefore  breaks  up  and  people  return  home.  Man  in  hole  asks  birds  passing  over 
to  take  him  out,  but  they  take  no  notice  of  him.  After  nine  days  Buzzard  flies 
over  hole  and  man  again  asks  for  help.  Bird  passes  again  and  again,  and  fourth 
time  lights  on  ground.  He  peeps  over  rim  of  hole  and  tells  man  he  will  help  him 
out,  but  he  must  first  go  for  some  medicine.  Buzzard  goes  away,  but  comes  back 
and  flies  to  bottom  of  hole.  He  tells  man  to  shut  his  eyes  and  take  step  forward. 
He  is  then  on  back  of  Buzzard,  who  flies  upward  out  of  hole.  Bird  takes  man  to 
home  of  Buzzard,  and  there  he  remains  until  he  can  walk  around.  Buzzard  tells 
him  his  friend  maltreated  him  because  he  had  been  told  he  was  going  to  take  his 
wife  away.  He  then  says  he  is  going  to  take  man  home,  and  tells  him  what  to  do 
there.  They  start  and  Buzzard  tells  man  to  shut  his  eyes.  When  near  home  he 
gets  off  Buzzard's  back  and  goes  to  his  lodge.  He  tells  how  his  friend  had  beaten 
him  and  how  Buzzard  had  rescued  him.  He  then  sends  his  sister  to  fetch  friend's 
wife.  Woman  returns  with  sister  and  stays  with  man,  refusing  to  go  back  to 
former  husband.  Afterward,  whenever  they  go  on  buffalo  hunt,  husband  kills 
one  buffalo  first,  cuts  it  up,  and  scatters  meat ;  then  he  kills  another  one  and 
takes  meat  home.  When  asked  why  he  did  that,  he  will  not  tell ;  but  once  his 
uncle  comes  and  asks  him,  and  he  says  he  had  lived  with  woman  many  years  and 
when  he  dies  she  shall  drop  dead,  too. 

47-   THE  TURTLE  WHO  CARRIED  THE  PEOPLE. 

People  travel  about  looking  for  village  site.  They  come  near  big  water  and  see 
what  they  think  is  large  rock.  They  make  village  near  rock,  which  they  use  as 
dancing  place.  After  some  time  crier  announces  big  dance.  While  all  people  are 
dancing  on  rock  it  begins  to  move.  They  see  big  head  and  legs  appear  from  under 
it ;  then  they  know  they  are  on  big  turtle.  They  try  to  get  off,  but  their  feet  are 
stuck  tight.  Turtle  carries  them  into  water  and  drowns  them. 

48.  WHY  DOGS  HAVE  LONG  TONGUES. 

When  animals  were  like  people,  dogs  were  noted  for  telling  everything  they  knew. 
Running- Water  is  great  hunter,  and  wants  dog  to  help  him  who  is  not  tattler.  He 
tries  to  teach  young  pup  not  to  talk  so  much.  When  big  enough,  Running- Water 
takes  it  to  hunt  small  game.  Every  time  man  kills  game,  dog  sneaks  home  and 
tells,  returning  circuitous  way,  as  though  he  has  been  hunting  all  time.  After  time 
Running- Water  goes  for  long  hunt  and  takes  dog  with  him.  They  kill  many  big 
animals  and  start  for  home.  Running- Water  misses  dog  and  returns  to  camp  for 


ABSTRACTS.  129 

him.  Dog  is  not  there,  and  when  Running- Water  gets  home  he  finds  dog.  He 
has  told  many  big  stories  about  animals  they  have  killed.  Running- Water  is  very 
angry  and  gives  dog  good  whipping.  He  then  catches  hold  of  dog's  tongue,  pulls 
it  as  hard  as  he  can,  and  then  runs  stick  across  his  mouth.  Since  then  dogs  have 
long  tongues  and  big  mouths. 

49.    WHY  HAWKS  HAVE  THIN  LEGS. 

Chicken-Hawk  is  poor  hunter.  He  meets  Eagle,  and,  pretending  he  has  killed 
many  big  game  before,  asks  him  if  he  will  help  him  to  kill  antelope.  Eagle  prom- 
ises on  condition  he  can  have  half  meat.  Hawk  goes  home  and  tells  family  he  has 
shot  antelope  in  head  and  is  going  in  morning  to  kill  him.  Hawk  and  Eagle  go 
hunting  together  and  find  antelope  in  mountain.  Eagle  kills  it  and  they  divide 
meat.  Hawk  takes  meat  home  and  tells  family  he  has  given  part  of  meat  to  poor 
hunter  who  had  never  tasted  antelope.  Family  tell  every  one  what  good  hunter 
Hawk  is.  Friend  visits  him  to  see  if  reports  true.  Hawk  hunts  all  day  and  returns 
with  only  mouse,  which  friend  refuses  to  eat.  He  hunts  next  day  and  can  not  find 
anything.  He  is  so  ashamed  that  he  cuts  meat  off  of  his  legs  to  take  home  for 
friend  to  eat.  This  is  why  hawks  have  no  meat  on  their  legs. 

50.   THE  POWERS  OF  BUFFALO  AND  BEAR. 

Once,  when  animals  understood  one  another,  Bear  and  Buffalo  met.  They  told 
each  other  of  their  powers.  Bear  says  he  was  once  human  being  and  went  with 
people.  One  night  he  dreamed  that  he  became  Bear  and  that  human  being  was 
pursuing  him  and  shooting  him  with  arrows.  When  he  awoke  he  found  all  was 
true.  He  left  people  and  began  new  life  in  mountains  and  woods.  Buffalo  then 
speaks  and  says  he,  too,  was  like  human  being.  His  people  were  called  Buffalo 
after  oldest  chief.  When  people  began  to  enter  this  world  Buffalo  people  were 
forbidden  to  enter,  because  some  one  had  made  mistake.  They  found  out  it  was 
Coyote,  and  they  prayed  that  Father  would  give  him  powers,  so  that  he  could 
enter  world  and  take  them  along.  They  had  to  change  into  wild  animals,  and  for 
love  of  people  to  be  their  game.  Then  they  were  given  powers  to  be  dangerous 
and  horns  to  fight  with.  Then  Bear  asks  Buffalo  to  show  what  he  does  when  he 
wants  to  hurt  or  kill  any  one.  Buffalo  watches  him,  and  before  he  knows  what 
has  happened  he  is  falling  to  ground  and  Buffalo  is  coming  at  him  again.  Buffalo 
asks  Bear  if  he  saw  him  when  he  first  started  after  him.  He  says,  "No,"  and 
Buffalo  asks  him  to  show  how  he  uses  his  powers.  Bear  walks  back  and  forth 
looking  at  Buffalo  with  angry  eyes,  then  moves  slowly  toward  small  tree,  which  he 
grabs  and  cuts  down  with  his  sharp  teeth,  and  before  Buffalo  knows,  Bear  is  upon 
him,  and  he  is  trying  to  get  up  from  ground.  Bear  holds  him  down  until  he  is 
ready  to  give  up.  When  Bear  lets  him  go  they  part  and  go  to  their  homes. 

51.   HOW  RABBIT  STOLE  MOUNTAIN-LION'S  TEETH. 

Rabbit,  in  absence  of  grandmother,  goes  to  house  of  Mountain-Lion.  He  is  not 
at  home.  Rabbit  finds  Mountain-Lion's  teeth  and  takes  them  home.  Rabbit  tells 
grandmother  Mountain-Lion  will  come  after  his  teeth  and  they  must  fool  him.  He 
tells  her  to  build  fire  outside  of  door  and  put  on  it  kettle  of  water,  and  to  put  some 
stones  into  water  and  boil  them.  When  Mountain-Lion  comes  she  is  to  tell  him 
that  she  is  boiling  stones  for  "Chief  of  all  the  beasts,"  who  is  Rabbit's  guest. 
Mountain-Lion  conies,  and  when  he  hears  what  grandmother  says,  he  runs  away  as 
fast  as  he  can. 


130  TRADITIONS   OF   THE   CADDO. 

52.   RABBIT  AND  THE  DANCING  TURKEYS. 

Rabbit  and  Wild-Cat  meet  and  begin  to  fight.  To  save  his  own  life,  Rabbit  says 
he  will  show  Wild-Cat  how  to  catch  Turkeys.  He  tells  him  to  stand  still  while  he 
sings  Turkey  dance  song.  Rabbit  sings,  and  then  tells  Wild-Cat  to  lie  down  and 
pretend  to  be  dead.  Turkeys  hear  song  and  come  to  see  what  it  is  about.  Rabbit 
tells  them  he  has  killed  Wild-Cat  and  they  are  to  dance  victory  song.  Turkeys  dance 
and  Wild-Cat  jumps  up  and  grabs  big  Turkey.  As  he  does  so  Rabbit  runs  away  and 
escapes. 

53.    ADVENTURES  OF  COYOTE. 

In  beginning  of  world  people  held  councils  to  decide  about  things.  Question 
comes  up,  what  kind  of  rain  there  shall  be.  Rain  in  form  of  lead  balls  is  proposed. 
Coyote  objects,  as  lead  would  be  dangerous,  and  suggests  drops  of  water.  This  is 
accepted.  Coyote  goes  traveling  and  comes  to  place  where  great  powerful  Bear 
lives.  Bear  says  if  he  is  Coyote  he  will  kill  him.  Coyote  pretends  to  be  son  of 
powerful  medicine-man.  Bear  decides  to  kill  him,  and  Coyote  tells  Bear  to  wait 
until  his  father  sees  him.  This  is  at  sunrise,  when  Sun  peeps  over  hill.  Coyote 
says  Bear  can  kill  him,  as  father  is  watching  him.  Bear  thinks  Coyote  must  be 
great  man  and  becomes  frightened.  He  gives  Coyote  many  things  to  eat.  Long 
after,  Bear  discovers  that  he  has  been  deceived  and  tries  to  find  Coyote's  home  to 
kill  him,  but  without  success.  Coyote  moves  from  place  to  place  and  meets 
Mountain-Lion  near  lake.  He  tells  him  he  is  very  hungry,  and  they  go  together  to 
lake.  Mountain-Lion  climbs  the  tree  and  tells  Coyote  to  hide.  Wild  horses  come 
to  water,  and  Mountain-Lion  jumps  and  kills  young  horse,  which  they  have  for 
dinner.  Mountain-Lion  teaches  Coyote  how  to  kill  horse.  Next  day  he  does  so. 
Mountain-Lion  tells  him  not  to  try  to  kill  three  or  four  year  old  horse.  Coyote 
leaves  his  friend  and  next  day  goes  to  lake  and  thinks  he  will  try  to  kill  largest 
horse.  He  jumps  from  tree  on  large  horse,  which  throws  him  off  and  kicks  him 
under  jaws.  Mountain-Lion  comes  and  Coyote  asks  him  what  he  is  laughing 
about.  Coyote  is  not  able  to  move  for  a  long  time  and  then  leaves  place.  He 
hears  some  one  in  persimmon  tree  and  finds  Opossum  eating  persimmons.  He 
asks  Opossum  for  some,  but  Opossum  laughs  at  him.  While  pretending  to  fall 
from  tree,  limb  breaks  and  Opossum  comes  to  ground.  Coyote  gives  him  good 
beating  and  leaves  him  to  die.  Opossum  fools  him,  and  when  Coyote  goes  away 
Opossum  climbs  tree  again  and  laughs  at  him. 

54.    COYOTE  ESCAPES  AN  IMAGINARY  FOE. 

Coyote  goes  hunting  buffalo.  He  sees  Turkey  on  top  of  tall  tree  and  threatens 
to  kill  him  if  he  does  not  get  down.  Turkey  starts  out  toward  prairie,  as  Coyote 
says  he  has  no  power  to  kill  anything  on  prairie.  When  Turkey  comes  to  ground 
Coyote  catches  up  with  him  and  kills  him.  While  eating  Turkey,  Coyote  looks 
around  to  see  that  no  one  is  watching  him.  He  thinks  he  sees  somebody  standing 
behind  him,  making  motions  as  if  to  strike  him.  He  starts  to  run,  every  now  and 
then  looking  back  to  see  if  he  is  out  of  reach.  He  thinks  he  sees  man  right  after 
him,  ready  to  hit  him,  and  runs  with  all  his  might.  Coyote  was  given  power  at  begin- 
ning of  world  to  run  without  decreasing  his  running  powers.  He  has  run  eight 
times,  and  ninth  time  he  runs  farther  than  usual.  Again  he  looks  around  and 
thinks  he  sees  man  about  to  hit  him.  When  running  tenth  time  his  powers  are 
decreasing,  and  he  dodges  from  right  to  left  to  fool  man.  Coyote  gives  out  when 


ABSTRACTS.  131 

running  twelfth  time.  He  turns  on  his  back  and  begs  not  to  be  killed.  He  falls 
over  on  his  face  and  hears  something  crack.  It  is  turkey  feather,  which  had  stuck 
between  his  teeth  and  is  nearly  straight  up  above  his  right  eye.  He  finds  he  has 
been  fooled  by  turkey  feather  and  is  very  angry.  Ever  since  he  has  looked  wild, 
and  when  he  runs  first  looks  around  to  right  and  then  to  left  to  see  if  anybody  is 
near  him.  When  he  reaches  home  Coyote  says  he  has  killed  Mountain-Lion. 

55.  COYOTE  GOES  FISHING. 

Coyote  goes  hunting  along  river  and  meets  man  carrying  fish.  Coyote  asks  him 
how  he  got  fish.  Man,  who  has  been  tricked  by  Coyote,  tells  him  to  go  to  edge  of 
river  in  evening  and  stay  until  he  comes  to  see  him.  Coyote  goes  and  finds  man 
waiting  for  him.  Man  tells  Coyote  to  sit  by  edge  of  water  while  he  breaks  ice. 
Coyote  does  as  man  tells  him  and  sits  by  bank  fishing  all  night.  Water  freezes  on 
Coyote's  tail,  and  in  morning  he  can  not  move.  Man  comes  and  asks  if  he  is 
catching  any  fish.  Coyote  says  he  thinks  he  has  caught  two  or  three,  and  asks  man 
to  help  him  to  land  them.  Man  reminds  Coyote  of  his  trickery  and  tells  Coyote 
he  is  going  to  kill  him.  Coyote  denies  trickery  and  offers  to  go  and  bring  one  that 
man  is  looking  for.  Man  goes  to  lodge  for  bow  and  arrows,  and  on  return  sings 
death  song,  and  then  shoots  and  kills  Coyote. 

56.  COYOTE  HUNTS  GEESE. 

Coyote  once  man.  People  dislike  him  and  call  him  coward,  as  he  is  always  try- 
ing to  cheat  some  one.  He  visits  his  best  friend  and  finds  he  has  been  feasting  on 
white  geese.  Coyote  asks  friend  where  he  got  them.  Friend  tells  him  to  come 
back  in  evening  and  he  will  show  him  where  geese  come.  When  Coyote  is  out 
of  sight,  friend  carries  ashes  from  fire  and  forms  them  in  shape  of  geese  near  lake. 
Just  before  evening  he  goes  and  puts  coals  under  ashes.  Coals  burn  up,  but  fire 
can  not  be  seen  from  outside.  When  Coyote  comes  they  go  to  place,  friend  taking 
lead.  He  pretends  not  to  see  first  pile  of  ashes.  When  Coyote  sees  it  he  prepares 
to  jump,  and  friend  laughs.  Coyote  pays  no  attention,  but  jumps  on  pile  of  hot 
ashes  and  burns  himself.  He  runs  away,  but  is  burned  so  badly  that  he  runs  until 
he  kills  himself. 

57.   COYOTE  IMITATES  HIS  HOST. 

In  old  days,  when  animals  talked  and  visited  each  other,  Coyote  and  Raven  were 
great  friends.  Coyote,  weary  of  hunting  without  success,  goes  to  Raven,  who 
has  control  of  buffalo.  Raven,  seeing  Coyote  sad  and  silent,  shoots  arrow  into  air 
and  waits  for  it  to  come  down.  It  pierces  him  under  right  arm.  He  draws  arrow 
out,  and  with  it  comes  buffalo  meat  and  fat.  He  gives  meat  to  Coyote,  who  eats 
heartily.  Before  he  goes  he  invites  Raven  to  visit  him.  Coyote  makes  bow  and 
arrows  and  puts  them  away  until  Raven  comes.  Raven  pays  Coyote  visit.  After 
talking,  Coyote  says  he  has  no  food,  but  will  soon  have  some.  He  takes  bow  and 
arrow  ;  shoots  arrow  into  sky.  When  it  comes  down  it  strikes  him  in  thigh.  He 
runs  away,  screaming  with  pain.  After  waiting  a  while  Raven  goes  home  without 
any  meat,  but  much  amused  at  Coyote's  performance.  Coyote's  friends  wonder  what 
has  become  of  him,  but  he  grows  very  hungry,  and  not  finding  any  food  he  goes  to 
visit  Black-Mountain-Bear.  Bear  regrets  to  have  no  food,  but  leans  against  persim- 
mon tree  and  ripe  fruit  falls  to  ground.  Coyote  eats  many,  and  before  going  insists 
that  Bear  come  to  see  him.  Coyote  can  not  find  persimmon  tree  with  fruit  on  it. 


132  TRADITIONS  OF  THE  CADDO. 

He  cuts  down  tree  without  fruit  and  takes  it  home,  where  he  sets  it  up.  He  then 
takes  persimmons  he  has  stolen  from  Bear's  home  and  others  he  finds  and  places 
them  all  over  tree  as  though  they  have  grown  there.  Black-Mountain-Bear  goes 
to  visit  Coyote,  who  bumps  head  against  tree,  but  persimmons  will  not  fall.  Finally 
he  arises  and  gives  tree  big  shake  with  hands,  and  it  falls  over,  hitting  him  on 
head.  He  pretends  not  to  be  hurt  and  gathers  up  fruit  for  Bear.  Bear  can  hardly 
swallow  for  laughing,  as  Coyote's  head  keeps  getting  bigger  and  bigger.  Bear  soon 
goes,  and  Coyote  holds  his  sore  head,  but  is  happy  for  having  furnished  food  for 
Bear. 

58.    COYOTE  IMITATES  HIS  HOST. 

Coyote,  looking  out  for  something  to  eat,  comes  to  grass  lodge.  He  enters  and 
sees  man  walking  about  with  light  on  his  head.  Coyote  calls  out  to  him  that  his 
head  is  on  fire.  Man  smiles  and  says  he  has  always  worn  light,  and  it  will  not 
burn  anything.  Man  is  Woodpecker.  He  gives  Coyote  something  to  eat.  Coyote 
goes,  after  eating  as  much  as  he  can,  and  asks  Woodpecker  to  make  him  a  visit . 
Some  time  afterward  Woodpecker  goes  to  Coyote's  lodge  and  is  surprised  to  see 
im  with  big  bunch  of  burning  straw  on  his  head.  Woodpecker  tells  him  to  take 
it  off,  but  Coyote  says  he  always  wears  it  at  night.  As  he  finishes  speaking,  his 
hair  catches  fire,  and  he  runs  out  of  lodge  screaming  for  help.  Woodpecker  waits 
for  his  return,  but  he  does  not  come. 

59-  COYOTE,  THE  DEER,  AND  THE  WIND. 

Coyote  meets  Deer,  who  asks  him  how  he  kills  his  game.  Coyote  replies  he  can 
kill  anything  he  can  lay  his  hands  on.  Deer  tells  Coyote  if  he  can  catch  Deer  he 
may  kill  and  eat  him.  Coyote  tries  to  catch  Deer,  but  without  success.  One  day, 
after  trying  to  find  him  asleep,  he  lays  down  in  grass  to  take  nap.  When  he 
awakes,  he  hears  some  one  singing  near  by.  He  is  frightened  and  peeps  about,  but 
sees  no  one.  He  hears  his  name  mentioned  in  song,  and  jumps  up  and  runs  as  far 
as  he  can  ;  then  he  drops  to  die.  He  hears  voice  again,  and  it  says  that  he  is  Wind, 
and  is  going  to  give  Coyote  power  to  catch  Deer.  Coyote  arises  and  barks  thanks. 
He  starts  out  to  find  Deer  and  travels  all  day,  but  can  not  find  him.  He  comes 
to  camp  where  he  steals  buffalo  robe.  He  puts  robe  over  him,  and  goes  on  to  look 
for  Deer.  He  thinks  he  sees  him  near  river,  goes  round  another  way  to  get  close, 
and  grabs  him.  To  his  surprise,  he  has  man  whose  robe  he  has  stolen.  Man  takes 
Coyote  home  and  makes  him  work  for  him  and  his  sister,  treating  him  cruelly 
because  he  has  stolen  robe.  One  time  while  man  out  hunting,  Coyote  makes  sister 
pack  her  clothes  and  go  away  with  him,  saying  her  brother  is  killed.  They  start 
for  Coyote's  home.  Coyote  goes  behind  girl,  and  whenever  she  stops  or  falls  hits 
her  with  stick.  Man  returns,  and  finds  sister  and  Coyote  gone.  He  starts  after 
them  and  soon  catches  up  with  them.  He  shoots  arrow  in  front  of  sister.  She 
sees  it  and  knows  her  brother  is  coming  to  help  her.  She  cries  for  joy  and  Coyote 
whips  her.  Man  goes  on  hill  and  shoots  another  arrow.  Coyote  sees  man  and  is 
frightened.  He  pretends  to  be  kind  to  girl,  and  tries  to  deceive  man  when  he 
comes  down  hill  and  asks  where  Coyote  is  going  with  sister.  Man  makes  Coyote 
put  bundle  of  clothes  on  his  back,  and  tells  sister  to  sit  on  bundle.  He  puts  bow- 
string through  Coyote's  mouth  and  gives  ends  to  girl.  She  saws  string  back  and 
forth,  and  man  runs  alongside  of  Coyote,  whipping  him,  thus  returning  home.  Man 
is  Wind,  who  has  become  angry  at  Coyote  for  stealing  his  robe  and  trying  to  catch 
Deer  with  it,  instead  of  waiting  for  power. 


ABSTRACTS.  133 

» 

60.   COYOTE  DIVES  FOR  MEAT. 

Coyote  kills  big  deer,  which  she  hides  inttree  while  she  goes  for  her  children. 
Wild-Cat  sees  her,  and  when  she  has  gone,  steals  meat  and  climbs  tree  on  bank 
of  river.  Coyote  returns  with  children,  but  can  not  find  meat.  While  children 
are  abusing  her  she  sees  reflection  of  meat  in  water  and  thinks  it  is  meat.  She 
dives  into  water  and  reaches  for  meat,  but  can  not  get  it.  She  ties  stones  about  her 
neck  and  dives  again.  Coyotes  wait  long  for  mother,  and  after  a  while  they  see 
excrement  on  water  and  think  it  is  meat.  They  laugh,  and  Wild-Cat  laughs  at 
them.  They  look  up  and  see  Wild-Cat  and  meat  in  tree.  Wild-Cat  tells  them 
that  mother  is  drowned.  They  cry,  and  Wild-Cat  climbs  down  and  gives  little 
Coyotes  all  they  want  to  eat  and  takes  them  home.  He  cares  for  them  until  they 
are  grown. 

61.    COYOTE,  THE  GEESE,  AND  THE  WOODPECKERS. 

Coyote,  returning  home  after  unsuccessful  hunt,  hears  laughing  and  playing. 
He  runs  over  hill,  and  on  other  side  is  big  lake,  with  several  white  geese  playing 
on  surface.  Coyote  watches  them  from  bushes  until  he  thinks  of  plan  whereby  he 
can  catch  them.  He  limps  out  from  bushes,  pretending  he  has  been  hurt.  Geese 
hear  him  and  swim  out  into  water.  One  then  asks  Coyote  what  is  the  matter,  and  he 
answers  that  he  will  be  killed  if  he  does  not  get  across  water,  and  then  all  rivers 
and  lakes  will  dry  up.  Geese  know  that  Coyote  is  lying  and  decide  to  take  him 
and  throw  him  into  deep  hole.  Old  Goose  tells  Coyote  to  get  on  his  back.  Coyote 
at  first  objects,  but  at  last  does  as  he  is  told,  and  Goose  flies  up  in  air.  Other  Geese 
follow  and  take  turns  in  carrying  Coyote.  They  fly  over  timbered  country  away 
from  lake  and  drop  him  into  hollow  trunk  of  tree.  He  can  not  get  out,  and  is 
frightened  almost  to  death.  Fly  comes  and  Coyote  prays  to  him  for  power.  Fly 
goes  and  brings  Woodpecker,  who,  finding  Coyote  really  wants  to  get  out,  fetches 
some  of  his  brothers.  They  peck  big  hole  in  tree.  Coyote  tells  them  to  stick  their 
heads  in  and  see  if  he  can  really  get  out,  and  then  bites  their  heads  off.  After  he 
has  eaten  Woodpeckers,  Coyote  escapes. 

62.    COYOTE  AND  RABBIT  KILL  A  BUFFALO. 

Rabbit  hunts  for  food,  and  one  day  goes  far  away  without  finding  any  game. 
He  is  going  home  playing  and  singing  when  Coyote  sees  him.  Coyote  steps  be- 
hind Rabbit,  yells  "  Bo  !  "  and  makes  grab  for  him.  Rabbit  is  frightened,  but  tells 
Coyote  not  to  kill  him,  as  he  knows  where  is  good  fat  buffalo.  Rabbit  leads  way 
to  where  old  buffalo  stands.  Rabbit  tells  Coyote  to  climb  into  animal.  Coyote 
obeys,  and  Rabbit  follows.  They  then  begin  to  eat  buffalo's  side,  and  soon  it  falls 
dead.  Old  man  comes  and  begins  to  butcher  buffalo.  Rabbit  tells  Coyote  to  hide 
in  intestines,  and  he  hides  in  bladder.  Old  man  places  intestines  on  one  side,  but 
throws  bladder  in  bush,  where  Rabbit  crawls  out  and  escapes.  Coyote  is  discovered 
and  killed. 

63.  COYOTE,  MOUNTAIN-LION,  AND  RABBIT. 

Coyote  hears  crying  like  child.  He  finds  Mountain-Lion's  den  and  young  there 
alone.  He  is  hungry,  and  kills  and  eats  them  all.  Mother  comes  back  with  food  for 
young  and  can  not  find  them.  She  follows  Coyote  many  days,  and  when  sitting 
on  bank  of  river  to  rest  sees  Rabbit.  She  calls  him  and  asks  him  to  help  her  to 


134  TRADITIONS   OF  THE   CADDO. 

capture  Coyote.  They  go  along  river  together  and  find  deer.  Mountain-Lion 
kills  it.  When  they  have  butchered  it  she  tells  Rabbit  to  cover  her  face  with  fat 
and  then  put  deer  on  her  back.  Rabbit  then  gets  on  top  of  deer.  While  crossing 
prairie  some  one  calls  out  asking  Rabbit  where  he  got  his  fine  horse.  Rabbit  pre- 
tends not  to  hear,  and  voice  again  calls  to  him.  Rabbit  goes  on  until  Coyote 
catches  up  with  him  and  tells  him  to  get  off,  as  horse  is  his.  Rabbit  jumps  off, 
and  as  Coyote  is  about  to  get  on  he  stops  to  bite  piece  of  fat  off  its  face.  He  recog- 
nizes Mountain-Lion  and  starts  to  run.  Mountain-Iyion  springs  upon  him  and  kills 
him. 

64.  COYOTE  BECOMES  A  BUFFALO. 

Coyote  meets  Buffalo  and  asks  him  for  power  to  turn  into  Buffalo  and  eat  grass. 
Buffalo  consents,  and  tells  Coyote  to  stand  facing  other  way  and  not  to  move. 
Buffalo  throws  up  dirt  with  hoofs  and  makes  plunge  toward  Coyote,  who  jumps 
out  of  way.  This  is  repeated  six  times,  but  seventh  time  Coyote  stands  firm  and 
Buffalo  throws  him  up  into  air.  When  he  comes  down  on  feet  he  is  very  young 
Buffalo.  He  begins  to  eat  grass  at  once.  Old  Buffalo  tells  him  he  can  become 
Coyote  again  by  rolling  over  two  or  three  times  in  Buffalo  wallow.  He  cautions 
him  that  power  is  good  for  only  seven  times,  and  that  he  must  not  give  power  to  any 
one  else.  Buffalo  then  makes  him  change  back  into  Coyote  and  leaves  him. 
Coyote  soon  begins  to  try  his  power,  and  before  meeting  any  one  has  tried  it  six 
times  and  has  turned  into  Buffalo  seventh  time.  He  meets  Coyote  and  asks  him 
if  he  does  not  want  some  of  his  power.  He  tells  him  to  stand  facing  other  way 
with  eyes  shut.  He  starts  at  him  and  at  last  attempt  they  both  go  into  air  and  they 
both  come  down  Coyotes. 

65.    COYOTE  AND  THE  TURKEYS. 

Coyote  is  looking  for  something  to  eat  and  hears  voice.  He  goes  and  finds  Tur- 
keys having  fun  by  getting  into  sack  and  rolling  down  hill.  Coyote  lets  Turkeys 
roll  him  down  hill  several  times.  Then  he  tells  Turkeys  to  get  into  sack  and  he 
will  roll  them  down.  All  crawl  into  sack  and  Coyote  ties  it  fast  at  each  end  and 
starts  for  home  with  it.  He  calls  his  four  sons  and  takes  Turkey  out  of  sack.  He 
tells  sons  to  build  big  fire  and  they  will  have  feast.  They  go  to  timber  for  wood 
and  leave  sack  in  charge  of  youngest  son.  Coyote  tells  him  not  to  untie  strings. 
Young  Coyote  unties  strings  and  looks  into  sack  to  see  what  Turkeys  are  doing. 
Turkeys  all  run  out  and  fly  away.  He  does  not  know  what  to  do,  but  finally  fills 
sack  with  dirt.  Father  returns  and  says  they  will  have  fine  feast.  When  he  opens 
sack  he  finds  only  dirt.  He  is  very  angry  and  kills  young  son  and  eats  him  instead 
of  Turkeys. 

66.  COYOTE'S  EYES  ARE  REPLACED  BY  BUCKEYES. 

Coyote  is  hunting  and  hears  voices.  He  thinks  they  are  turkeys  making  noise 
and  goes  to  catch  them.  He  finds  Ducks  playing  in  water  and  they]ask  him  to  join 
them.  He  consents  to  play  at  taking  eyes  out.  First  Duck  has  eyes  taken  out, 
then  he  dives  into  water  and  his  eyes  are  thrown  after  him.  When  he  comes  up 
he  has  them  in  place.  All  Ducks  take  turns.  Then  Coyote  goes  through  same  per- 
formance and  comes  out  all  right.  Ducks  have  power  to  do  almost  anything,  but 
to  do  it  only  once.  Coyote  wants  to  try  trick  again,  but  Ducks  object.  At  last 
they  take  his  eyes  out  and  he  dives  into  water.  Ducks  all  fly  away  and  leave 


ABSTRACTS.  135 

Coyote.  He  goes  along  talking  and  crying.  Man  finds  him  and  goes  to  get  some- 
thing to  make  him  new  eyes.  He  returns  with  green  buckeye  balls.  He  hits 
place  of  right  eye  with  buckeye  ball,  and  then  place  of  left  eye  with  another  ball, 
and  Coyote's  eyes  are  restored. 

67.  COYOTE  AND  TURTLE  RUN  A  RACE. 

Coyote,  returning  from  unsuccessful  hunt  for  game,  passes  home  of  Turtle. 
Turtle  invites  him  in  and  offers  him  something  to  eat.  Turtle  is  tired  and  says 
he  has  just  come  back  from  races.  Coyote  and  Turtle  arrange  to  have  race  two 
days  hence.  Coyote  sends  son  to  announce  race  to  Coyote  people  and  tell  them  to  bet 
heavily,  as  he  would  defeat  Turtle.  Turtle  sends  son  to  announce  race,  and  that 
best  runners  are  to  come  to  his  lodge.  They  come,  and  Turtle  asks  them  to  help 
him  to  cheat  Coyote  out  of  race.  Each  is  to  put  white  feather  in  his  hair  and  to 
paint  himself  to  look  like  Turtle.  They  are  to  station  themselves  at  intervals 
along  course.  One  is  to  start  with  Coyote  and  when  far  behind  is  to  drop  into 
grass.  Then  next  one  is  to  jump  up  and  run,  then  next  one,  and  so  on  until  last. 
Turtle  will  be  last  and  beat  Coyote  over  goal.  On  day  of  race  Turtles  station  them- 
selves along  way  in  tall  grass.  Coyote  comes  and  wants  to  run  short  distance,  but 
Turtle  insists  on  long  distance.  Many  Coyotes  come  and  bet  on  Coyote.  They 
start  and  Coyotes  laugh,  for  their  man  is  far  ahead.  Soon  to  their  surprise  Turtle 
is  ahead.  Coyote  overtakes  Turtle,  and  they  laugh  again.  They  hear  Turtles 
cheering  and  Turtle  is  far  in  lead.  The  race  then  goes  on,  and  just  as  Coyote  has 
passed  Turtle  and  is  near  goal,  Turtle  crosses  line  and  all  Turtles  set  up  loud  cheer. 
Coyote  runs  off  in  grass  and  is  wondering  yet  how  Turtle  beat  him.  All  other 
Coyotes  are  angry  because  he  makes  them  lose  so  many  bets. 

68.    COYOTE,  WILD-CAT,  AND   THE  OLD  WOMAN. 

Old  blind  woman  lives  alone.  She  always  has  plenty  to  eat.  Whenever  she 
sits  down  to  eat  she  speaks  as  though  talking  to  some  one.  Wild-Cat  smells  meat 
and  goes  in.  He  sees  old  woman  is  blind  and  slips  quietly  to  corner.  She  speaks, 
but  then  begins  to  eat ;  so  Wild-Cat  slips  over  and  begins  to  eat,  too.  He  is  careful 
not  to  make  noise,  and  when  little  left  in  pot  quietly  slips  away.  He  comes  there 
every  day  and  grows  sleek  and  fat.  Coyote  meets  him  and  asks  where  he  gets  so 
much  to  eat.  Wild-Cat  tells  him  and  agrees  to  take  him,  on  his  promise  to  keep 
very  quiet.  They  go  and  sit  near  door  while  meat  cooking.  They  steal  meat  out 
of  pot.  Coyote  forgets  all  about  keeping  quiet  and  cracks  bone  so  loud  that  old 
woman  jumps  up.  Wild-Cat  gets  out  of  house.  Old  woman  runs  to  door  and 
closes  it.  She  takes  long  spear  and  pokes  around  room.  Spear  pierces  Coyote. 
He  cries  out  with  pain,  and  she  continues  poking  until  she  kills  him.  Wild-Cat 
comes  next  day  and  finds  Coyote  dead.  He  is  sorry,  because  he  is  afraid  to  go  to 
house  again  to  eat. 

69.  COYOTE  CHALLENGES  THE  SNAKE. 

Coyote  goes  from  place  to  place  to  find  Snake.  He  stops  to  rest  and  soon  hears 
some  one  calling  him.  Snake  comes  up,  and  Coyote,  after  referring  to  Snake's 
supposed  power,  says  he  wants  to  see  which  of  them  has  most  power.  Snake 
agrees  and  suggests  that  they  bite  each  other  once.  Coyote  says  snake  is  to  bite 
first.  Snake  goes  up  to  Coyote  and  bites  him  on  top  of  nose.  Coyote  asks  if  that 


736  TRADITIONS   OF  THE   CADDO. 

is  all  Snake  can  do,  and  says  he  will  show  his  power.  He  conies  to  Snake  and  bites 
him  nearly  in  two.  They  go  little  way  off  and  lie  down.  Coyote  calls  to  Snake 
and  hears  him  answer  in  low  voice.  Snake  then  calls  to  Coyote,  who  answers  with 
big  voice.  They  keep  calling  to  one  another  all  night.  Toward  daylight  Snake 
calls  Coyote  and  no  answer  comes.  After  calling  fourth  time,  Snake  goes  to  see 
what  is  the  matter  and  finds  Coyote  all  swollen  and  dead. 

70.  COYOTE  TURNS  INTO  A  CORN  MILL. 

Women  make  corn  mills  from  trunk  of  old  tree.  There  are  many  such  mills, 
but  one  very  old  and  smooth,  women  like  best.  Woman  pounds  corn  in  old  mill 
and  when  ground  she  sees  she  has  only  little.  She  watches  other  women  and  corn 
disappears  in  same  way.  They  examine  mill  and  woman  suggests  that  they  cut  it 
with  axe  to  see  where  corn  has  gone.  Mill  falls  over  and  Coyote  jumps  up  and 
runs  away.  He  has  turned  into  corn  mill,  so  that  he  can  get  all  he  wants  to  eat. 


m  •# 


THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  SANTA  CRUZ 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  DATE  stamped  below. 


[Lw*m 

APR181993REC'D 


100m-8,'65(F6282s8)2373 


